CIEE to Award $3 Million in Matching Grants to Lead Change in Study Abroad

Non-profit intercultural exchange organization will support bold change models that demonstrate the value of study abroad for students and institutions

SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine, Feb. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) has pledged to provide $3,000,000 over four years in matching grants to support colleges who seek to advance their institutional aspirations through a material investment in international programs.

CIEE seeks three institutional partners who will help lead change in study abroad through bold change models that demonstrate:

• The vital link between global programs, institutional goals, and student success
• The value of higher education with integrated international programs

The pledge was inspired in part by two key themes that emerged from CIEE's 76^th Annual Study Abroad Conference held in Paris last November. At the conference, senior leaders from multiple U.S. colleges and universities spoke about how a comprehensive strategy to promote, integrate, and expand international programs advanced their institution's core mission, increased enrollment and student retention, and led to significantly better student outcomes. In addition, leaders in international education shared their belief that the best way to lead change in study abroad is to provide more "Radical Access" to life-changing international programs.

With these themes in mind, CIEE has pledged $3 million over four years to support three colleges that are ready to become a national model of success in leading change in study abroad.

"Leading change means embracing a global program strategy that helps an institution advance its mission and improves student success," said James P. Pellow, Ed.D., President and CEO of CIEE. "We plan to support efforts that can provide a model to the field of education that can be emulated by other colleges and universities."

CIEE has issued a Call for Proposals seeking bold initiatives that leverage global programs to do one or more of the following:

• position international education as a solution-center to enrollment strategies, student retention, and student success
• expand access for students traditionally underrepresented study abroad
• provide global learning experiences for students in critical academic areas (e.g. climate studies, foreign language acquisition)
• support innovative styles of experiential learning (e.g. global internships, service learning)

CIEE will provide each winning institution with a matching grant of $1 million over four years (each winning proposal will be funded annually with $250,000 from both the institution and CIEE for total support of $500,000/year).

Proposals are due March 15, 2024.

More information on CIEE's Pledge to Lead Change in Study Abroad, including more information about how to apply for the CIEE matching grants, is at: ciee.org/leadingchange.

About CIEE:

CIEE builds bridges between different people, different countries, and different cultures. For 75 years, we have helped young people participate in high-quality international exchange and study abroad programs that bring the world together. We change lives, our alumni change the world. Learn more at ciee.org.

Contact: Leslie Taylor, [email protected], (207) 553-4274

SOURCE Council On International Educational Exchange (CIEE)