The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) is one of three community colleges selected by the Institute of International Education (IIE) to receive an IIE American Passport Project grant, which will enable up to twenty-five students at one of MCCCD’s ten colleges to obtain a United States passport and support their study abroad journeys. In its third year, IIE has awarded forty-eight institutions within the IIENetwork, assisting nearly 1,200 Pell-eligible U.S. students in obtaining their U.S. passports.
“It is a privilege to have Maricopa Community Colleges selected as one of the forty-eight colleges and universities to receive the IIE American Passport Project grant,” said MCCCD Chancellor Dr. Steven R. Gonzales. “We are expanding learning opportunities for students who may not have the chance to study abroad with this funding. In addition, this opportunity allows students to become immersed and engaged in different languages and cultures, which helps them thrive in a global community.”
As a key initiative under IIE’s newly launched Center for Access and Equity, the IIE American Passport Project represents IIE’s commitment to creating access to international education opportunities and enabling equity. For this program, IIE is removing an initial financial barrier for many – the cost of a U.S. passport; thereby, helping to increase diversity and inclusion of students studying abroad. Through the IIE American Passport Project, IIE aims to empower 10,000 U.S. students with their passports by the end of this decade.
This summer, MCCCD plans to offer seven study abroad programs to six countries across three continents. In total, 130 students will participate. Additionally, MCCCD’s International & Intercultural Education Office plans to expand study abroad destinations for Summer 2024 in order to accommodate the growing number of students interested in the program. Through MCCCD’s study abroad program, students can earn up to six academic credits while studying in cities like Fukuoka, London, and Prague.
“Since the return of the study abroad programs that were halted during the pandemic, we’ve seen a heightened desire from our students to expand their learning by building their community and acquiring new skills via host communities throughout the world,” said MCCCD’s International & Intercultural Education Office Program Manager, Jen Sydow. “We hope this grant is just one of many ways we can continue to build upon our current offerings to enable more students the ability to study abroad.”
In addition, the grant is intended to support the IIENetwork, IIE’s global membership association, in assisting students from their respective campuses to go abroad who would otherwise not participate in an international experience as part of their college education. The program prioritizes first-year students with limited financial means, for whom this may be their first passport, and makes global learning abroad a greater possibility with an earlier start. The awarded institutions will couple the grant funding with their engagement and outreach, advising, programming, and additional support for the students they have identified for this program.
As part of the framework to attract students, MCCCD’s International & Intercultural Education Office will work with each of the System’s ten colleges by hosting virtual information sessions and providing transportation for students who may not have access to their closest passport acceptance location. For more information on study abroad and other international education initiatives offered at the Maricopa Community Colleges, visit www.maricopa.edu/study-abroad.