The May 1st Deadline to join Generation Study Abroad in time for the next public announcement of partners is quickly approaching.  We encourage your institution to make a commitment now and be part of this important initiative. 

To date, more than 200 partners have joined and committed to take specific, measurable actions to expand study abroad opportunities for American students by the end of the decade. Partners so far include 180 campuses, as well as foreign governments and exchange agencies, education associations, and other educational organizations.  We are deeply grateful to those who have already joined.

Already, our initial announcement of the launch of the campaign has generated a great deal of awareness about the importance of U.S. student mobility and study abroad. We are working with the commitment partners to publicize their participation, and many campuses have had great success in having their efforts featured in local and national news.  Generation Study Abroad was also highlighted in CNN’s feature coverage of First Lady Michelle Obama’s trip to China where she spoke out about the value of cross-cultural learning.

How can my organization join Generation Study Abroad?
Please visit the Join Generation Study Abroad or click the links below to see how you can get involved. You will need to download the Commitment Form for your type of organization, and outline the specific actions your institution will take.

We are building a global coalition of educators at all levels and stakeholders in the public and private sector to directly address how to extend study abroad opportunities to hundreds of thousands of college students who are not currently taking part in study abroad.  Together, we are working to shift the paradigm so that study abroad is seen as an essential part of a college education, and not a luxury.

Individuals, students, and study abroad alumni can subscribe to receive updates on the campaign, and find out what they can do to support the initiative.

Campuses become Generation Study Abroad partners by setting an ambitious goal to increase participation in study abroad to a specific target level for their campus, and pledging to take concrete actions to meet the study abroad goal.  

Some of the actions pledged include:

• increasing funding and committing new scholarships for study abroad
• improving training and support for departments and advisors 
• integrating study abroad more closely with the curriculum
• expanding diversity of students who participate in study abroad   
• examining and breaking down institutional barriers

Non-campus entities can commit to other actions, such as funding scholarship programs, convening events, sharing best practices, and providing study abroad services.  You can also choose to donate to the Generation Study Abroad fund.

Globalization is changing the way the world works, and employers are increasingly looking for workers who have cross-cultural competence and cutting-edge technical skills. Currently, less than 10% of the 2.6 million students graduating with associates or baccalaureate degrees each year have studied abroad.  Generation Study Abroad seeks to address that shortfall by bringing employers, governments, associations, and others together to build on current best practices and find new ways to extend study abroad opportunities to tens of thousands of college students for whom traditional study abroad programs aren’t working.  We know it will take all of us to mobilize the resources to double the number of students studying abroad by the end of the decade.   

With your help, future generations of Americans will be ready to succeed in the global economy.