Away Announces Passport Scholarship Fund To Unlock International Travel Experiences

NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- This GivingTuesday, global lifestyle brand Away announced a significant step to grow their partnership with Global Glimpse, a nonprofit organization that provides travel and leadership programs to students from diverse backgrounds. In an effort to eliminate the financial burden of securing a passport, Away has endowed a Passport Scholarship Fund, which will directly benefit Global Glimpse students in need of support ahead of their first international travel experiences.

The Passport Scholarship Fund is an expansion of Away's ongoing partnership with Global Glimpse, which was formally established in 2020. In 2022, Global Glimpse anticipates that 500 individuals will travel internationally as a part of their innovative programming, roughly 200 of whom will require financial assistance to obtain a passport. Each in-need student will receive full funding to cover the estimated $145 cost of their U.S. Passport. Additionally, recognizing that barriers to entry are not just financial, Away will work with Global Glimpse to set up guidance and direction to make the passport application process as seamless as possible for students.

"At Away, it is our mission to make travel more equitable and accessible. The establishment of the Passport Scholarship Fund is an exciting extension of our joint efforts with Global Glimpse to break down barriers and unlock the transformative powers of travel for the next generation," said Jen Rubio, CEO of Away. "As these students embark on the first steps of their global journeys, Away is thrilled to play a continued role in providing exposure to new cultures and perspectives."

In celebration of this initiative, throughout the week of GivingTuesday, Away's 13 retail locations will invite customers to share travel tips for future first-time international travelers via passport-style cards. These notes will be sent to Global Glimpse students as a means to inspire and encourage their future travels.

"A key part of Global Glimpse's work is to reduce the financial barriers to travel by providing critical scholarships to our students. However, Global Glimpse has not previously provided specific funding to help students obtain their first passport," shared Eliza Pesuit, Founder and Executive Director of Global Glimpse. "Away's Passport Scholarship Fund will not only cover the full cost of a United States passport for every Global Glimpse student in need of one, but it will also enable students to participate in Global Glimpse's unique and transformative international travel experiences."

Global Glimpse has made travel and leadership opportunities possible for over 7,000 students and 500 educators across 100 high schools, and provided over $13.2 million dollars in travel scholarships to ensure that our programs are accessible to all. In addition to the newly established passport initiative, Away's partnership to-date includes financially supporting Global Glimpse's Virtual Leadership Academy programming, funding in-person travel experiences for 200 students, and providing in-kind luggage donations and mentorship to first-time Global Glimpse travelers.

For more information about Away's social impact mission and efforts, visit www.awaytravel.com/impact.

About Away
Away is a global lifestyle brand with a mission to transform travel through products and content that inspire people to get away more. The company launched in 2016 with one perfectly designed carry-on and has since expanded to offer an array of luggage and travel essentials built for the modern traveler. Headquartered in New York City, with teams in London and Toronto, Away currently ships products to over 35 countries around the world. Away has been named one of Fast Company's "World's Most Innovative Companies" and has been recognized on TIME's list of "Best Inventions." To learn more, visit awaytravel.com. 

About Global Glimpse
Global Glimpse is an innovative nonprofit that works to empower U.S. high school students from diverse backgrounds to think and act as responsible global citizens. Founded in 2007, Global Glimpse has impacted the lives of over 7,000 students and 500 educators through transformative international travel experiences and virtual global learning programs. Global Glimpse partners with 70 public high schools in the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, New York, and Massachusetts. Learn more about their work and impact at globalglimpse.org.

Media Contact
Away
Yasmin Shahida
Senior Manager, PR
[email protected] 

SOURCE Away