Nebraska Wesleyan was selected to receive funding support from the U.S. Department of State’s Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students (IDEAS) Program. NWU is one of 44 colleges and universities across the United States that will use the IDEAS grants to create, expand, and/or diversify American student mobility overseas in support of U.S. foreign policy goals. This U.S. Government program is funded by the U.S. Department of State and supported in its implementation by World Learning.
“The U.S. Department of State is committed to supporting U.S. colleges and universities as they continue to rebuild study abroad capacity impacted by the global pandemic. That is why ECA is proud to be awarding double the number of IDEAS grants this year so that we can support more institutions as they work to provide important international educational opportunities to their students. Our IDEAS grant recipients reflects the full diversity of the U.S. higher education system – including community colleges, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), rural institutions, and more – and we are committed to working with them to build study abroad programs that are accessible for Americans of all backgrounds and that provide more opportunities for American students to engage with people in more diverse destinations around the world.” said Heidi Manley, USA Study Abroad Chief, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Nebraska Wesleyan will utilize the grant to diversify global engagement programs beyond Global North destinations. The grant will also help to make programs more equitably available so that every student engages globally in one or more ways: in-person study abroad, virtual exchange, and/or local interaction with an international person or perspective (“glocal”).
“Nebraska Wesleyan’s study abroad program is strong, and we are excited to see how this grant further grows the capacity for both virtual and in-person global engagement programs,” said Sarah Barr, NWU Director of Global Engagement. “Our goal is for students to develop intercultural competencies and skills needed to serve in a diverse, multi-cultural global society. We are excited to see the connections that NWU faculty and students will make as a result of the IDEAS Grant.”
Since 2016, the IDEAS Program has awarded 145 grants to 139 institutions in 48 states and territories to create, expand, and diversify their U.S. study abroad programs in 71 countries across all world regions. In addition to the IDEAS grant competition, the program also offers opportunities for faculty, staff, and administrators at U.S. colleges and universities to participate in a series of free virtual and in-person study abroad capacity building activities.