Applications Open for Community College Initiative Program

Deadline: 22-Nov-21

The Office of Global Educational Programs of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for the Community College Initiative (CCI) Program.

ECA is seeking proposal submissions for one cooperative agreement to design, implement, and oversee the CCI Program. The CCI Program aims to bring young emerging leaders for an intensive program at accredited U.S. community colleges, focused on building technical and professional skills while deepening participants’ understanding of the United States, its people, and its values.

The Community College Initiative (CCI) Program promotes American prosperity, advances American influence, and contributes to the development of 21st century technical skills on U.S. community college campuses. The CCI Program aims to expand opportunities for underrepresented U.S. and foreign youth through exchanges, promote American values among underserved foreign participants, and increase workforce skills through training and internationalization efforts at U.S. community colleges.

Goals

The program goals are to:

• Equip exchange participants with professional and technical skills in fields of study that will help them as workforce leaders to meet important needs in their underserved communities;
• Expand opportunities for young emerging leaders, including women, from underrepresented, underserved communities abroad;
• Build mutual understanding, tolerance, and respect through sharing cultures and values;
• Foster relationships among underserved youth from different ethnic, religious, and national groups, including U.S. peers;
• Empower participants from underrepresented and underserved groups to serve in leadership roles to engage in addressing issues of economic and/or social concern in their local communities upon their return home; and
• Promote internationalization efforts on U.S. community college campuses and better prepare U.S. students for successful futures in a global marketplace.
• Promote institutional capacity to host international students at U.S. community colleges.

Objectives

• The objectives of the program for participants are to:
  • Demonstrate increased knowledge and professional skills in their chosen field of study;
  • Demonstrate increased confidence and ability in their personal, professional, and leadership skills to enhance their employability and/or prospects for economic or social success;
  • Demonstrate improvement in their level of proficiency in English that will serve as a springboard to opportunity;
  • Demonstrate a better understanding of community engagement as practiced within their multinational campus cohorts and in their host communities in the United States;
  • Demonstrate a better understanding of the values, society, institutions, and culture of the United States; and
  • Demonstrate the mindset of an emerging leader and difference-maker with a commitment to sharing what they have learned with others and making a contribution to their local communities upon return home.
• The objectives of the program for community colleges are to:
  • Increase institutional capacity to host international students, especially those from underrepresented countries and communities, thereby improving institutional support systems, student experiences, and ultimately the capacity to recruit international short term and degree-seeking students;
  • Increase institutional capacity to facilitate greater engagement among and between international students and U.S. students, staff, and faculty and build mutual understanding, tolerance, and respect through sharing of cultures and values;
  • Internationalize on-campus opportunities for U.S. students to gain international awareness, global competencies and ultimately to increase the global understanding, job skills, and mobility of U.S. community college students.

Focus Areas

Participants may apply for, and be placed in, the following fields:

• Agriculture
• Applied Engineering
• Business Management and Administration
• Early Childhood Education
• Information Technology
• Media
• Social Services, Health, and Public Safety
• Tourism and Hospitality Management

Funding Information

• Approximate Total Funding: $5,275,000, pending the availability of funds.
• Approximate Average Award: ECA reserves the right to modify the composition of the final award and its funding level based upon the quality of the proposals submitted, the availability of funds, and other factors impacting long-term foreign policy objectives.
• The maximum award available will be approximately $5,275,000.
• Floor of Award Range: The Bureau anticipates that the minimum award available will be approximately $5,275,000, pending the availability of funds.
• Ceiling of Award Range: Up to $5,275,000, pending the availability of funds

Participants and Recruitment

The Bureau anticipates recruiting approximately 130 program participants from approximately 15 countries, to include countries in all six world regions (participating countries are subject to change). Participants are recruited through the Public Affairs Section of the local U.S. Embassy or Consulate, or through the Fulbright Commission, if available, in the eligible country. In 2021- 22, participating countries included Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Kosovo, South Africa, Turkey, and Ukraine. The Bureau reserves the right to make changes in eligible countries; proposals should indicate flexibility and willingness to host international students from any and all identified countries.

Eligibility Criteria

• Private institutions of higher education
• Others
• Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
• Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education

For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=335891