CIEE Pledge to Lead Change in Study Abroad Update - March 2026
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CIEE’s Pledge to Lead Change in Study Abroad is a commitment to invest $8M over of four years ($4M from CIEE and $4M from the selected colleges and universities) to increase access to international education opportunities and establish new models of study abroad that advance both institutional and student success goals, including increased enrollment, retention, graduation rates, student academic success, and post-graduate employability.
Below is an update on the bold efforts of Arizona State University, the Borough of Manhattan Community College, and UC San Diego to improve student outcomes by opening doors to study abroad for all students from all backgrounds.
Scaling Impact: The ASU Early Start Global Accelerator Success Story
Designed to improve first-year persistence and success rates among at-risk students, the ASU Early Start Global Accelerator—a sustainability-focused partnership between Arizona State University and CIEE—grew from 65 participants in 2025 to a cohort of 150 students in 2026.
First-year students journeyed to CIEE’s campus in the Monteverde cloud forests of Costa Rica, where they engaged in hands-on learning and research in sustainability and environmental science. This early introduction to study abroad has yielded improvements in student retention and success, with students thinking differently about their future academic endeavors.
This "winning combination" of success relies on three core pillars: world-class faculty leaders, immersive curricula, and seamless support from the CIEE team. The results of this expansion have been profound, noted Dr. Jessica Early, Professor of English and a program faculty leader. “The pilot we ran last year gave us the blueprint for success," she said in the video below.
"Participating in this adventure in Costa Rica improved retention, which is an incredible showing of the power of this kind of program. Many students had never considered studying abroad as an option, and now they’ve already enrolled in their next international programs!”
-- Dr. Jessica Early, ASU Early Start Global Accelerator faculty leader
Changing the Face of Study Abroad: BMCC’s Bold Vision
The Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) has set an ambitious goal for its Pledge to Lead Change in Study Abroad: sending 1,000 students abroad over the next four years. By leveraging January term programs that align with BMCC’s winter session, BMCC is ensuring its students gain vital international exposure.
In January 2026, BMCC sent a record 201 students abroad to 14 cities, including: Amsterdam, Cape Town, Florence, Kyoto, Lisbon, London, Milan, Monteverde, Palma, Prague, Rome, Santiago, Seoul, and Singapore.
Across our network, CIEE centers were thrilled to host these students in what felt like the "Winter of BMCC."
BMCC’s leadership didn’t just cheer from the sidelines—they were on the ground. President Munroe and Vice President Ramdath made a whirlwind trek to visit nearly every site, to engage with students, and hear first-hand about their experiences.
President Munroe’s journey began in London, where he joined students in the course: Britain's NHS: The Cost of Free Health Care. As a former healthcare professional, he found the subject deeply personal.
“It’s important to understand public health systems,” said President Munroe in the video below. “We came out of a terrible pandemic that taught us the importance of it. By taking a course like this in London, these students gain insights that will make them better healthcare professionals and better citizens.”
Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders: The UC San Diego Future Innovators Program
UC San Diego is investing CIEE’s $1M Leading Change in Study Abroad grant to add an international experience to the already successful UC San Diego Future Innovators program.
This initiative will train the next generation workforce through exposure to global learning on CIEE internship programs, coupled with structured innovation and entrepreneurial training at UC San Diego. Students from UC San Diego intern each summer in Berlin, London, Cape Town, or Singapore.
Early data shows remarkable success: 100% of surveyed participants reported the experience moved them closer to their career goals. Notably, nearly half (46.7%) of participants returned from their internship abroad with a renewed academic focus, pursuing new minors or campus leadership roles.
Moving forward, UC San Diego will track long-term outcomes through multi-year surveys to monitor how alumni engage with the Blackstone LaunchPad and other innovation resources on campus.
In the video below, Associate Vice Chancellor Paul Roben, head of the UC San Diego Office of Innovation, discusses the decision to co-fund the Future Innovators scholarship. His remarks were captured at the 13th Annual CIEE Global Internship Conference in Singapore last June.
Follow CIEE on LinkedIn 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.