Education

WorldStrides Joins the Institute of International Education’s Generation Study Abroad Initiative

WorldStrides Capstone division has joined the Institute of International Education’s Generation Study Abroad initiative to help more Americans gain international experience through study abroad programs. This is one of more than 600 commitments announced by IIE, including the commitment of International Studies Abroad, now a part of WorldStrides.

IIE’s Generation Study Abroad seeks to mobilize resources and commitments with the goal of doubling the number of U.S. students studying abroad by the end of the decade.

Under the new partnership, WorldStrides will take concrete, action-oriented steps to expand opportunities for study abroad. WorldStrides Capstone has pledged to expand targeted scholarships to help offset the costs of short-term study abroad. We will continue our ongoing work to open new markets to increase our current capabilities (100+ countries) to a goal of 125 countries. WorldStrides will also work to educate faculty in successful promotion of faculty-led programming through a variety of channels.

“We are proud to participate in this worthy initiative and look forward to meeting our goals together,” Michael Smith, Senior Vice President and General Manager of WorldStrides Capstone division, said.

As of April 2016, Generation Study Abroad partners to date include over 400 colleges and universities of all sizes and types across the country and around the world, as well as 16 governments, 25 education associations, more than 100 international partners, and 100 study abroad, K-12, and social network organizations who have committed to specific goals to increase the number of U.S. students studying abroad. Commitments include actions to diversity the population of students who participate in study abroad and provide additional financial resources to make this possible.

IIE launched Generation Study Abroad early last year in the belief that the number and proportion of today’s students who graduate with an educational experience abroad is far too low. Currently, fewer than 10 percent of all U.S. college students study abroad at some point in their academic career, according to the Open Doors Report on International and Educational Exchange published by IIE with support from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Generation Study Abroad aims to grow participation in study abroad so that the annual total reported will reach 600,000 by the end of the decade.

“Globalization has changed the way the world works, and employers are increasingly looking for workers who have international skills and expertise,” says Dr. Allan Goodman, President of IIE. “Studying abroad must be viewed as an essential component of a college degree and critical to preparing future leaders.”