CIEE Pledge to Lead Change in Study Abroad - June Update

CIEE’s Pledge to Lead Change in Study Abroad is a commitment of $6 million over four years to increase access to study abroad and establish new program models that advance both institutional and student success goals, including higher enrollment, student retention, graduation rates, and post-graduate employability.  Arizona State University, the Borough of Manhattan Community College, and UC San Diego are leading change in study abroad through bold new study abroad models that are changing lives and improving institutional outcomes.

ASU Early Start Global Accelerator Program to Improve First-year Retention

The ASU Early Start Global Accelerator Program helps improve student retention and graduation rates for high-risk, first-year students. The program brings first-year students to the cloud forest of Monteverde for a nine-day study abroad program that blends lessons on Costa Rican culture, environmental science, and sustainability. ASU’s objective is to demonstrate that first-year retention and academic outcomes improve when students participate in a first-year international experience.

To date, over 200 first-year ASU students have completed the ASU Early Start Global Accelerator Program in Costa Rica with impressive results. The first two cohorts (Spring 2026 and Fall 2026) outperformed the comparison group in cumulative GPA, academic credits earned, and academic stability. Participants also reported growth in confidence, improved academic motivation, and increased independence. 

In the video below, ASU student Logan Loyd talks about the lasting impact of the program. 
 

BMCC Global Scholars Program to Establish Nation’s Leading Global Community College

BMCC’s Global Scholars Program seeks to internationalize the entire college community by sending 1,000 students abroad by 2028 through a combination of January-term, faculty-led, and Summer Global Internship programs. BMCC's Global Scholars Program targets Pell-eligible, diverse, and first-generation students to improve retention, graduation rates, and post-graduate employability. Program elements include extensive faculty participation, training, and support, as well as a deep commitment by BMCC’s senior administration. 

To date, BMCC Global Scholars Program has enabled 560 students to study abroad while 32 faculty members participated in CIEE-led workshops that will lead to 16 faculty-led programs and 22 programs overall. BMCC is more than halfway to its goal of supporting 1,000 international student experiences. In summer 2026, BMCC faculty will lead 15 custom summer programs across various disciplines and international locations.

In the video below, hear directly from BMCC faculty at the recent CIEE Athens faculty study abroad workshop. 
 

UC San Diego Future Innovators Program to Expand Access to Global Internships

UC San Diego’s Future Innovators Program is designed to expand access to global internships and improve future career success for Pell-eligible and low-income students. The program will support global internships for 180 first-year or transfer students over four years in four locations – CIEE Berlin, CIEE London, CIEE Cape Town, and CIEE Singapore.

In summer 2025, 41 UC San Diego students completed global internships and post-program surveys show students felt strongly that the UC San Diego Future Innovators Program moved them closer to their career goals. The majority of the first cohort maintained a GPA over 3.0 and students reported higher levels of international engagement and public service. The second cohort of 39 students will intern abroad in summer 2026.

In the video below, students share how they plan to leverage their global internship into future career success.

 

Stay tuned for continued updates on CIEE's Pledge to Lead Change in Study Abroad and the exciting new models of study abroad that advance institutional goals while positively transforming the lives of hundreds of students.