CIEE Pledge to Lead Change in Study Abroad - September Update
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We’re pleased to share the September 2025 update on CIEE’s Leading Change in Study Abroad $1 Million Grants. Four of the nation’s leading universities are leading change in study abroad through innovative new programs. Below are updates from: Arizona State University, Borough of Manhattan Community College, Northeastern University, and University of California San Diego.
"For many students, the exciting parts of their undergraduate career don't happen until the end. So, what if we were to change that and what if we were to start earlier and give students a chance to be able to globalize their undergraduate career from the very get-go?"--Dr. Paul Lepore, Associate Dean for Student and Academic Programs in The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, ASU
ASU Goal: Increase Retention and Academic Performance for At-risk Students
ASU is investing CIEE’s $1 million Leading Change in Study Abroad grant to improve student retention and graduation rates. The ASU Early Start Global Accelerator helps first year-students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences forge deeper connections at ASU through a 9-day, sustainability-focused study abroad experience at CIEE Monteverde, Costa Rica.
Retention and GPA results from the first cohort were amazing. Students on the ASU Early Start Global Accelerator Program in December 2024 had higher retention rates and GPAs than first year students who did not attend the program:
- 94% of ASU Early Start Global Accelerator first year students enrolled in the Spring '25 term (compared to an average of 91% for populations of ASU first year students who did not participate)
- 90% of ASU Early Start Global Accelerator first year students continued their enrollment in the Fall '25 term (compared to an average of 80% for populations of ASU first year students who did not participate)
- ASU Early Start Global Accelerator students earned a cumulative GPA of 3.4 and 19 academic credits (compared to an average GPA of 2.9 and 16 academic credits for populations of first year students who did not participate)
"It wasn't even six months ago. We were up in the cloud forest. It's so beautiful. It kind of solidified my choice to go to ASU."--Kamalei Pahukula, ASU Early Start Global Accelerator participant, CIEE Monteverde, Costa Rica, December 2024
BMCC Goal: Become the Nation's Leading Global Two-year College
Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) is investing CIEE’s $1 million Leading Change in Study Abroad grant to establish a college-wide approach to global programs as they transform BMCC into the nation’s leading global two-year college.
Over 150 BMCC students embraced life-changing experiences this year through faculty-led study abroad programs that helped students explore history and culture in Berlin, Cape Town, Rabat, Rome, and Paris, and internship abroad programs that helped students gain professional experience in Barcelona, Dublin, London, and Paris.
BMCC President, Dr. Anthony Munroe, and Vice President, Dr. Sanjay Ramdath, made it a priority to travel abroad and meet with students in person. In the video below, Dr. Munroe shares why he believes it is crucial for leaders to be personally committed to the change they seek.
"This partnership with CIE has been absolutely transformative for BMCC. We've seen a lot of student interest. We've seen more demand for a variety of courses and options and internship opportunities. We've seen a lot of excitement amongst our faculty. We've seen an improvement in our retention."--Borough of Manhattan Community College President, Dr. Anthony Munroe
Northeastern University Goal: Build Stronger Bridges to Africa Through Public Health Programs that Promote Student Access
Northeastern is investing CIEE’s $1 million Leading Change in Study Abroad grant to advance President Joseph Aoun’s strategic initiative to build stronger bridges to Africa and to increase access for all Northeastern students to study abroad.
The Northeastern Global Seminar employed an innovative hybrid model that paired an asynchronous online course with two weeks abroad in Botswana and Ghana for Pell-eligible students. The programs were designed to increase access to study abroad by covering all program costs, including passports, immunizations, flights, and housing.
In Legon, Ghana, Northeastern students immersed themselves in the study of intercultural communication. In Gaborone, Botswana, Northeastern students embraced a hands-on experience of the country’s healthcare system, allowing them to compare it with the U.S. system of healthcare.
"[The students] are very respectful and they demonstrate cultural sensitivity. [This experience may] inspire them to work in the global space...They may not end up in the healthcare profession, but whether they end up in finance or in law there's something that they can do in that space to advocate for health." -- Dr. Godwill Gulubane, Physician, Instructor of CIEE Public Health course
UC San Diego Goal: Establish Global Pathways to Global Careers
UC San Diego is investing CIEE’s $1 million Leading Change in Study Abroad grant to launch the UC San Diego’s Future Innovators program. This initiative will prepare the next generation by combining global learning on CIEE internship programs with entrepreneurial training at UC San Diego.
In summer 2025, UC San Diego funded 40 rising sophomores from low-income backgrounds to participate in CIEE’s Global Summer Internship program in Berlin, Cape Town, London, and Singapore.
The UCSD Office of Innovation and Commercialization, a co-sponsor of the program, will continue to support these students when they return to campus, ensuring they can actively engage with UC San Diego's vibrant entrepreneurship ecosystem. Their goal is to nurture their newfound global perspectives and connect them with resources that will help them build their careers.
In the video below, UC San Diego Future Innovators share their impressions of London and explain how their placements are directly shaping their career goals.
“I’m grateful to have gotten a foot in the door of a field that I always wanted to be in.”--Princess Chidema Nwanisobi, first-year UC San Diego Future Innovator who interned with a family law firm, CIEE London, summer 2025.
The first year of CIEE’s Leading Change in Study Abroad Matching Grant program exceeded our expectations for creating new models of study abroad while impacting the lives of hundreds of students. We look forward to the second year of innovation that makes a difference.