Jan O’Sullivan TD, Ireland’s Minister of Education and Skills, announced last week plans to enhance levels of supports from Irish higher education institutions to support the Generation Study Abroad goal of doubling the number of U.S. students studying abroad over the next five years.

At the recent NAFSA conference in Boston the Irish Universities Association announced funding support for 350 scholarships for US students to study in Ireland in this year. Institutes of Technology Ireland also announced a funding package that will see 100 American students come to study in Ireland. Irish private colleges will support 80 scholarships. Together, with the scholarships that will flow from the Government's direct support for the Generation Study Abroad initiative, the total number of scholarships available to U.S. students wishing to study in Ireland this year is more than 500.  

Recognizing the key role that K-12 teachers play in bringing the world into their classrooms, IIE is seeking at least 1,000 teachers from across the United States to join Generation Study Abroad. Teachers are powerful motivators when it comes to encouraging students to pursue any and all types of global study, from classroom projects in elementary school to study abroad programs in college.

In order for Generation Study Abroad partners in higher education to be successful in their efforts to get more of their students abroad in college, they need to have students coming in to college with the interest in and expectation for study abroad. If you know a high school or middle school teacher, please invite them to take the pledge.

There are now many efforts encourage students to study abroad at a younger age, but programs for younger students present their own unique challenges. This article explores how to overcome them. — Education Week

As study abroad participation has increased nationally, the proportion of underrepresented minorities participating has also grown, but slowly. More can be done. — Inside Higher Ed

Employers say that international experience matters in hiring decisions. Chief executives fret that today’s graduates lack the skills to succeed in a global economy. Yet many students still graduate without these vital skills. — The Chronicle of Higher Education 

In this era of globalization it’s no surprise that so many young people are keen to study abroad. But as research reveals, the majority of U.S. students are sticking close to home - not geographically, but culturally. — ENCA

Five months after pledging a bold set of initiatives in support of Generation Study Abroad, CIEE: Council on International Educational Exchange is once again breaking down the leading barriers to international education: cost, curriculum, and culture. On May 27, during the NAFSA Annual Conference, CIEE President and CEO James P. Pellow announced a new $20,000 grant to recognize innovative international programs created by faculty members and administrators at U.S. colleges and universities. Selected faculty will receive funding to run a custom CIEE program that will enable students from underrepresented groups to study abroad, allowing them to develop critical intercultural knowledge and professional skills. Faculty can apply for the grant on CIEE’s new Generation Study Abroad website, which offers resources for students and faculty to learn how they can play a role in increasing study abroad participation and provides tools for tracking CIEE’s progress in the effort.

MyWorldAbroad is proud to support the over 400 universities dedicated to doubling the number of students studying abroad by the year 2020. In celebration of Generation Study Abroad, MyWorldAbroad is providing schools worldwide with free instant access to their most popular training materials including: 8 Quick Guides on building global skills, 7 International Quizzes to assess study abroad preparedness, and 75 inspirational Stories from Abroad. Schools can link to these materials and use them in student advising and workshops with a focus on integrating career success into the student’s study abroad experience.

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Dublin Business School (DBS) announced that it will offer up to 40 Generation Study Abroad scholarships to the value of $70,000 to undergraduates from the United States to spend a semester or full academic year at Dublin Business School. The scholarships will give particular encouragement and support to those students who traditionally would not choose a study abroad option.

Dublin City University is granting students who apply to DCU’s Study Abroad Program from an IIE Commitment Partner University a fee reduction scholarship valued at €500 for a single semester or €1000 for an academic year. DCU delivers more than 200 programs across its four faculties: Humanities and Social Sciences, Science and Health, Engineering and Computing and DCU Business School. DCU’s excellence is recognized internationally and it is ranked among the top 50 Universities worldwide.

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Panjab University (PU), one of the highest ranked universities in India and a recent commitment partner of Generation Study Abroad, hosted a workshop last week to involve the PU faculty in developing a "Study India Programme" (SIP), which would be run on-campus as a part of their Generation Study Abroad commitment. The workshop organizer highlighted the fact that currently PU has over 400 international students from around 20 countries across the globe.

In this K–12-focused webinar, attendees will hear from Generation Study Abroad collaborators at the American Council on Teaching of Foreign Languages, National Geographic, and Asia Society with tools and advice for internationalizing K-12 classrooms and advancing study abroad awareness at an earlier stage. The webinar is free of charge and open to Generation Study Abroad commitment partners as well as the larger education community.

The IIE Summit on Generation Study Abroad will bring education, government, business leaders, and journalists together in Washington, DC, for action-oriented discussions on how to ensure international experience is a key part of a 21st Century education. We invite you to join the conversation, learn and share innovative solutions to increase and diversify the study abroad population, and discover new models that work for campuses and employers.

The Institute of International Education, in partnership with the New York Times in Education, is seeking 1-3 minute digital submissions from study abroad returnees that demonstrate how study abroad gave them an edge, the impact it had on their life and the world, and how reading the New York Times helped them navigate, enhance, or make sense of their experience.

Winners will receive a $1,000 cash prize, an iPad, a trip to the IIE Summit on Generation Study Abroad, and a video spotlight on the New York Times in Education site.

Faculty are a critical part of campus internationalization. Faculty who receive Fulbright grants become more involved with international education at their home institution upon their return and encourage students to pursue study abroad opportunities. Encourage your faculty to apply to the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program.

The Fulbright Scholar Program offers teaching, research or combination teaching/research awards in over 125 countries for the 2016-2017 academic year. Opportunities are available for college and university faculty and administrators as well as for professionals, artists, journalists, scientists, lawyers, independent scholars and many others. In addition to several new program models designed to meet the changing needs of U.S. academics and professionals, Fulbright is offering more opportunities for flexible, multi-country grants through enhanced global and regional awards.

Interested faculty and professionals are encouraged to learn more about the nearly 600 core Fulbright U.S. Scholar opportunities in a wide range of disciplines by visiting the online Catalog of Awards, browsing the regional or discipline highlights, or by participating in one our webinars.

The Fulbright Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, is the U.S. government’s flagship international exchange program and is supported by the people of the United States and partner countries around the world. For more information, visit eca.state.gov/Fulbright.