IIE’s Generation Study Abroad Initiative Announces 142 New Partners

Eight months after the official launch of Generation Study Abroad, the Institute of International Education (IIE) has announced that 142 new partners have joined as part of a third round of commitments, bringing the total to 450 partners. Many of the new partners are international universities and organizations that have committed to increase the number of U.S. students going to their countries to study. In addition, several major U.S. higher education organizations have pledged specific, actionable goals and tangible financial commitments that will contribute significantly to IIE’s ambitious goal of doubling the number of American students who study abroad by the end of the decade.

A total of 450 partners have joined Generation Study Abroad to date. They include:

Noteworthy partners joining the coalition in this round include the State University of New York (SUNY) and the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), who has pledged a generous package of $20 million to help students take advantage of international opportunities.

The 2014 Open Doors Report released this week demonstrates the clear need to take bold action to increase study abroad participation. See how commitment partners are taking action:

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New Generation Study Abroad Activities for 2015

IIE Study Abroad Fund: A component of Generation Study Abroad, the Fund recognizes U.S. universities and institutions that are making outstanding progress in achieving their study abroad targets and provides them with incentive grants to help their students pursue educational opportunities abroad. In March 2015, IIE will provide the first incentive grants of $5,000 to $10,000 to U.S. campus partners who are making good progress towards their goals.

The 1st Virtual Study Abroad Fair (February 25, 2015): CollegeWeekLive and IIE, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs will conduct a virtual fair on study abroad. The virtual fair will provide students and their families access to live video presentations about study abroad topics such as the benefits of a global perspective on future job prospects, and enable them to chat live with representatives from study abroad organizations and colleges and universities from around the world.

Convening partners from all sectors: IIE has announced the first annual IIE Summit on Generation Study Abroad, to be held on October 1-2, 2015 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, DC, to bring together commitment partners to share best practices and develop new partnerships and ideas. A call for proposals will be issued in December 2014 and registration will open in spring 2015. The IIE Summit on Generation Study Abroad will engage all commitment partners, including U.S. and non-U.S. higher education institutions, the K-12 community, foreign language community, study abroad organizations and social networks, education associations, private sector corporations and foundations, and U.S. and foreign government partners.

Reaching high school students, parents, and teachers: IIE will launch its second round of IIE Passport Awards for Study Abroad, supplemental grants for high school students to study abroad when they are in college (the winners will be announced in June 2015). In partnership with AIFS, IIE will also publish A Parent’s Guide to Study Abroad. IIE will introduce its Generation Study Abroad Teacher Campaign this winter with the goal to have 1,000 teachers pledge be advocates for study abroad.

Revised Green Paper: As the first step in bringing stakeholders from different sectors together to achieve large-scale change, IIE convened a one-day Think Tank on what it will take to double study abroad. The Green Paper, "What Will it Take to Double Study Abroad?", documents the outcomes of that discussion. The revised Green Paper, with the addition of ongoing feedback from the community at large, has been published with addendum comments and content.