Update on CIEE 2021 Programs, Health and Safety, Internships, and Scholarships
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With hope for a brighter year ahead, we want to share with you the latest updates on the programs, scholarships, and initiatives CIEE has planned for 2021.
CIEE Spring, Summer, and Fall 2021 Study Abroad Programs
CIEE is pleased to share that we plan to run 17 study abroad programs in spring 2021, 25 programs in summer 2021, and 46 programs in fall 2021.
CIEE staff is preparing to receive your students into programs in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. We are ready to support them as they settle into their new living and learning environments, especially in complying with all CIEE and local healthcare protocols and precautions.
We believe more students will study abroad in spring 2021 than in fall 2020, in large part because many parts of the world are doing a much better job at managing the virus than we are in many states and cities in the United States.
For an overview of one of the tools we are using to assess the risk of operating in different countries, read more about the CIEE Health Risk Index. And for a nuanced take on how to evaluate whether a study abroad experience is “safe” for students, I invite you to read the essay "COVID-19 Upends Traditional Framework for Evaluating Risk in Study Abroad" by Bill Bull, CIEE's vice president of risk management.
CIEE Program Assurance Advantage for All 2021 Programs
CIEE has established the industry’s leading program assurance to ensure that students can plan to study abroad without financial risk. The CIEE Program Assurance Advantage is simple: if CIEE must cancel a program before its start date, students receive a full refund of all program fees. Or students may transfer their registration to an equivalent CIEE program in the same term, or they may defer their program to an equivalent future term with no additional cost. Plus, students may withdraw from a CIEE program prior to their departure date for any reason and still receive a full refund of all program fees. For more information, please visit ciee.org/paa.
CIEE Custom Programs
CIEE is responding to record interest from colleges regarding custom and faculty-led programs, particularly for summer and fall 2021. Many schools are looking to consolidate custom programs with one provider to increase operational and financial efficiency, ensure consistent and high-quality safety protocols, and reduce the risk of program execution or cancelation. If you are seeking to support faculty who are hoping to lead programs in summer or fall 2021, please email us.
Also, we are pleased that colleges who have been supporting their international students with custom international study programs in fall 2020 will be extending their programs to spring 2021. We will be running custom international programs in Asia and Africa in spring 2021, and can support programs in Europe and Latin America, as well. If your enrollment office is seeking to support international students unable to be on campus in the United States, please email us.
CIEE Internships
During the pandemic, CIEE has supported scores of students with virtual placements for internships at international companies and we will continue to offer this service in spring 2021 and beyond. In addition, in spring 2021, we plan to support in-person internship placements in in Berlin, and in summer 2021, we plan to offer Global Internship placements in Barcelona, Berlin, London, Prague, Seville, Sydney, and Tokyo.
As with all CIEE programs, any in-person placement will adhere to all CIEE safety protocols and students are protected financially with CIEE’s Program Assurance Advantage.
CIEE College Away for Spring 2021 and Summer 2021
CIEE has created two exciting programs that enable college students to participate in an international experience while they complete their online courses taught from their home institution. CIEE College Away allows students to live in Monteverde, Costa Rica or Dublin Ireland, complete their home-based college coursework, and experience a new culture while they stay on track for their degree programs. CIEE College Away is offered in 4-week blocks, is fully supported by CIEE staff, and adheres to all CIEE safety protocols.
CIEE Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship & Summer Scholars Grants
The prestigious Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship (FDGF) is now welcoming applications from students of color enrolled at any U.S. college or university. The FDGF covers all program and travel costs for ten exceptional student leaders to participate in a summer study abroad experience designed to enhance their intercultural communication and leadership skills.
The 2021 Frederick Douglass Global Fellows will tour Ireland next summer and be co-sponsored by Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs in celebration of the 175th Anniversary of the meeting between Frederick Douglass and world-renowned Irish abolitionist Daniel O’Connell that occurred during Douglass’s visit to Ireland in 1845.
Applications for the Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship opened on November 1, 2020. The deadline to submit applications is February 14, 2021 (Douglass’s adopted birthday). Criteria for the Fellowship are found on our website.
The Frederick Douglass Summer Scholars (FDSS) Grant is a $1,500 grant that can be applied to the cost of any CIEE summer 2021 program. The FDSS grant is offered to all qualified FDGF applicants who are not selected as Frederick Douglass Global Fellows and recipients may choose from dozens of CIEE programs to advance their academic goals.
In addition, many college presidents have demonstrated their commitment to building global competencies in their future alumni by matching the FDSS grant of $1,500 for students at their schools, bringing the total grant for many Frederick Douglass Summer Scholars to $3,000.