CIEE Pledge to Lead Change in Study Abroad - September Update

CIEE’s Pledge to Lead Change in Study Abroad represents a $6M, four-year commitment to help institutions transform study abroad access and impact on student success. This initiative advances institutional metrics such as recruitment, retention, degree completion, and post-graduate career readiness.

As we reach the halfway mark and embark on Year Three, we’re highlighting the successes from Year Two and the programs developed with Arizona State University, the Borough of Manhattan Community College, and UC San Diego. 

 Scaling Impact at ASU: Sustainability in Monteverde

Designed to drive retention and success among first-generation and high-risk students, the Arizona State University Early Start Global Accelerator program delivers a transformative, nine-day immersive experience at the CIEE Monteverde campus in Costa Rica.

Participation increased from 51 students in Year One to 150 students in Year Two with data from the first year demonstrating that the model works: those students achieved higher GPAs, earned more credits, and stayed enrolled at higher rates than their peers. Early outcomes from Year Two suggest equally if not stronger retention outcomes.

Watch highlights from the second year in the video below.

BMCC Experiences Record-breaking Growth in Year Two

The BMCC Global Scholars Program seeks to cultivate an international perspective across the college by mobilizing faculty and students to help 1,000 students study abroad by 2028. The initiative supports students who are typically underrepresented in study abroad programs, such as those who are first generation and Pell-eligible, with the goal of improving first year retention, degree completion rates, and post-graduation employability.

During the first year of the Pledge to Lead Change in Study Abroad, 153 BMCC students studied abroad with CIEE across a range of programs. In year two, that number more than doubled, with 359 students participating.

Early results demonstrate higher retention rates among students who completed one of the BMCC Global Scholars programs as compared to non-participating students.

Watch the video below for highlights from Year Two. 

UC San Diego Prepares Future Innovators Through Global Internships

UC San Diego’s Future Innovators Program is launching its third year, continuing its mission to make international professional development accessible for non-traditional, incoming Pell-eligible students. UCSD’s goal is to sponsor 180 first-year or transfer students on internships in in Berlin, Germany; London, England; Cape Town, South Africa; and Singapore.

Eighty students have participated in the program so far, and survey results indicate participants feel better prepared for future careers following their global internship.

Watch the video below for highlights from the program's second year.

We look forward to continuing this important work, driving institutional transformation and expanding access for the next cohort of global scholars, in Year Three.