State Department’s IDEAS Program Awards BridgeValley Community & Technical College Grant to Build Study Abroad Capacity

BridgeValley Community & Technical College (BridgeValley CTC) has been awarded a consortium grant jointly with the bipartisan 2022 CHIPS and Science Act from the U.S. Department of State’s Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students (IDEAS) Program. BridgeValley CTC is one of 37 U.S. colleges and universities that will use an IDEAS grant to establish, expand, and/or broaden American student mobility overseas in support of U.S. foreign policy goals.  

In support of the bipartisan 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, two consortium grants of $50,000 each were awarded to U.S. higher education institutions collaborating to build study abroad capacity, programs, and resources to prepare U.S. students for careers in STEM, technical, and/or vocational fields. BridgeValley CTC will develop study abroad programs that will help students gain global job skills aligned with local industry needs, including in computer science, engineering, manufacturing, and semiconductor development.

 “The U.S. Department of State is proud to support these U.S. colleges and universities as they build capacity for more American students to study abroad in diverse locations around the world.  Increasing the number of U.S. students with international experiences is part of our investment in ensuring that our country’s future leaders have the skills they need in fields ranging from global health to technology and innovation,” said Heidi Manley, Chief of USA Study Abroad.

This year’s projects include activities such as developing new international partnerships, training faculty and staff, internationalizing curriculum, engaging students in study abroad, and creating virtual and hybrid exchanges.  IDEAS grants will support programming to 36 destinations, across all world regions, for example in Botswana, Croatia, Indonesia, Nepal, Tunisia, and Uruguay.  For a full list of 2024 IDEAS grantees, as well as information on upcoming IDEAS webinars and workshops, please visit  www.studyabroadcapacitybuilding.org.

Since 2016, the IDEAS Program has awarded 216 grants to 205 institutions in 49 U.S. states and territories to establish, expand, and broaden their U.S. study abroad programs in over 95 countries across all world regions. In addition to the IDEAS grant competition, the program also offers opportunities for international educators at U.S. colleges and universities to participate in free virtual and in-person study abroad capacity-building activities.

For further information about other study abroad resources and other exchange programs offered by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, please contact [email protected] and visit https://eca.state.gov/.  The IDEAS Program is a program of the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the United States Government and supported in its implementation by World Learning.