State Dept grant to help UGA study abroad programs

The Office of Global Engagement, as a division of the University of Georgia,has been selected to receive a grant as part of the U.S. Department of State's 2019 Capacity Building Program for U.S. Study Abroad.

UGA, along with 20 other colleges and universities, was selected from over 120 applications to create, expand and diversify American student mobility overseas in support of foreign policy goals. The Capacity Building Program for U.S. Study Abroad is a program of the U.S. State Department with funding provided by the U.S. government and supported in its implementation by World Learning.

UGA will use the capacity building grant to develop curricula for rising college freshmen who are statistically less likely to study abroad. “Despite data showing that study abroad improves academic outcomes, minority, low-income and first-generation college students have historically lower rates of study abroad participation,” said Brian Watkins, OGE director of international initiatives and principal investigator on the grant. “By reinforcing the value of cross-cultural education early in the college experience and providing information about resources and affordability, the grant will help UGA to strengthen study abroad diversity and improve outcomes.”

The Capacity Building Program for U.S. Study Abroad aspires to widen the scope of accredited U.S. colleges and universities by enabling them to establish, develop and variegate study abroad programs for U.S. students. Additionally, the program will offer opportunities for faculty, staff and administrators to participate in a series of study abroad capacity building activities.