CIEE Pledge to Lead Change in Study Abroad - May Update
Authored By:
In November 2023, CIEE pledged to lead change in study abroad and award four universities Leading Change in Study Abroad $1 Million Grants to support implementation of bold international programs designed to advance both institutional and student success goals, including increased enrollment, retention, graduation rates, student academic success, and post-graduate employability.
Below is the May 2025 update on the bold initiatives of Arizona State University, The Borough of Manhattan Community College, Northeastern University, and The University of California San Diego. The April 2025 update is here.
Initial Outcomes of the ASU Early Start Global Accelerator Program
With the support of their CIEE Leading Change in Study Abroad Grant, ASU added an international component to their existing Early Start program, which helps first-year, at-risk students transition to college and improve their chances of retention and graduation. The ASU Early Start Global Accelerator provides first-year students with a fully funded, eight-day study abroad experience in Monteverde, Costa Rica, focused on sustainability and climate change.
Like all CIEE program participants, the December 2024 cohort of 60 ASU Early Start Global Accelerator students completed program evaluations to help CIEE measure outcomes such as academic quality, support services, and inclusivity. The ASU Early Start Global Accelerator program participants rated the program highly on all criteria. Students were particularly pleased with the degree of cultural immersion, excursions, and staff support.
Students gave program staff a 10 out of 10 rating. “The leaders of this program are so wonderful and good at being inclusive and really drawing people together,” commented one participant.
Many participants, all first-year students, expressed a desire to study abroad again. One participant, a Global Health major, shared how the experience in Costa Rica inspired her choice of future study abroad location. “My major requires me to study abroad and so I was thinking about traveling to Europe but after this experience I do want to travel in certain areas where I can speak my own language of Spanish,” she said.
Inspiring Climate Action
One of the goals of the ASU program is for students to learn about sustainable solutions in the context of the local cloud forest, while also allowing students to reflect on their own experiences with sustainability and the environment. In the video below, participants describe how the experience has inspired them to take action in their own lives.
Monteverde is not the only CIEE location with programs focused on the environment. We recently expanded our ecology and sustainability program portfolio and now offer sustainability and environmental studies courses and programs in more than 40 cities around the world!
With the support of their CIEE Leading Change in Study Abroad Grant, the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC), one of the largest community colleges in the United States, embraced a multipronged strategy featuring CIEE global internship programs, CIEE January-term programs, and the development of a new suite of faculty-led honors programs to create a lasting culture of change across the institution.
Initial Outcomes of January Term for BMCC Students
Seventy three January term participants from Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC), ranging in age from 18 to 37, overwhelmingly reported positive experiences, with particularly high marks awarded for the academic rigor and the quality of support they received. This endorsement underscores BMCC students' ability to flourish academically alongside their counterparts from highly selective four-year institutions.
One theater major studying abroad in Kyoto made this comment about CIEE’s faculty: “Sensa Bailey is amazing. He cultivates an inclusive learning environment where everyone feels empowered to ask questions freely. I learned so much from him and from my fellow students as a result.”
In the video below, learn more about the experience of the BMCC students who studied the UK healthcare system at CIEE London this past January.
Investing in Faculty Development to Drive Institutional Change
In April 2025, 11 BMCC professors and two BMCC administrators convened at CIEE Monteverde for a specialized faculty training workshop on best practices for immersive international education programs. The workshop was designed to prepare faculty who may not have led a program abroad before, and to generate faculty excitement about the potential of international programs for BMCC students. The CIEE location in Costa Rica was selected because of its STEM offerings and facilities, including labs, though faculty represented a diverse array of academic disciplines.
One of the participants, Professor Nikolas Malkov, shared this reflection: “From exploring the breathtaking cloud forests to participating in enriching discussions on global education, the trip offered not just a fresh perspective on study abroad programming, but also a deep sense of community among colleagues...One of the most valuable aspects was learning how immersive, place-based education—like what we experienced in Monteverde—can open students' eyes to issues of sustainability, justice, and cultural awareness. I left with many new ideas, from creating criminal justice case studies based on international contexts to incorporating comparative law into our courses.”
BMCC Alumni Giving Back
Aaoni Solomon, an alum of the January term program at CIEE Palma, is returning to Palma this summer as an alumni intern for the CIEE High School Summer Study Abroad program. As an alumni intern, Aaoni will assist with events, social media, newsletters, and other tasks. The CIEE Palma team is thrilled to welcome her back!
Increasing Impact with Coursework to Complement International Experience
With the support of their CIEE Leading Change in Study Abroad Grant, this summer Northeastern is offering two custom programs in Legon, Ghana, and Gaborone, Botswana. To maximize credit attainment, prior to departure, participants will take a five-week course – either Introduction to Global Health, or People and Cultures.
In the video below, Dr. Carie Hersh, Teaching Professor in Anthropology, who teaches People and Cultures, describes adapting her course to complement the learning that will take place abroad. “I just wish I could have done this in college,” she said. “I think it's a wonderful opportunity and I'm very grateful that your organization was able to partner with Northeastern to make it happen. I think it's going to have a big impact on students’ lives.”
Meet the UC San Diego Future Innovators!
With the support of their CIEE Leading Change in Study Abroad Grant, UC San Diego has launched the Future Innovators Global Internship program, which offers first-year or transfer Pell-eligible students the chance to embark on a fully funded international internship.
The Future Innovators Global Internship Program application process invited students to articulate their motivations through video submissions. The testimonials were inspiring! In the video below, you can see the genuine enthusiasm and profound desire of UC San Diego students to foster intercultural understanding.
Join Us for More Discussion of Leading Change in Study Abroad!
If you are interested in learning more about the inspiration behind and the initial outcomes of CIEE Leading Change in Study Abroad efforts, there are two upcoming opportunities to talk with partners in person:
- NAFSA Conference in San Diego, Wednesday, May 28, 2:30 – 3:20 pm PST
- "You're Hired! Building Career Readiness Through a Global Internship" — Join Patrick Moran, Vice President of College Enrollment at CIEE; Courtney Giordano, Senior Director of Global Initiatives at UC San Diego; and Leah Mason, Deputy Director of Research, Evaluation and Learning at IIE; to delve into the connection between global internships and students' skill development and workforce entry. The panel will share insights on employability, successful program designs, and strategies for Leading Change with global internships.
- 13th Annual CIEE Global Internship Conference in Singapore June 25 – 27
- “Internships as a Catalyst for Change” — Join Paul Roben, the Associate Vice Chancellor of Innovation & Technology Commercialization at UC San Diego, to explore how internships, especially those with a global component, can reshape both individual trajectories and institutional priorities. As a panelist, he will speak about how the UC San Diego Future Innovators will work with the Office of Innovation and Technology Commercialization after their internship with CIEE to apply what they have learned to practical scenarios and cultivating entrepreneurial ventures.
Stay tuned for more updates!