CCID is thrilled to announce the launch of its newly redesigned website, now live at https://www.ccidinc.org/. The new site represents a significant transformation in content quality, user experience, site structure, brand consistency, and search performance.

The redesign was led end‑to‑end by Jackfruit Marketing, with founder and managing director Jackie Kassteen serving as CCID’s marketing and digital strategy partner throughout the project. Their work included setting a clear digital strategy, reorganizing the site structure, content planning and development, an overhaul of the user experience (UX) and front‑end design, and full website build and implementation.

​The result is a modern, scalable digital platform designed to better serve CCID’s audiences while supporting long‑term growth, visibility, and engagement.

A Major Upgrade in Content, Experience, and Performance

The new CCID website delivers substantial improvements across every key dimension of digital performance, including:

• Significantly expanded and elevated content, providing clearer messaging, deeper insights, and better alignment with the multifaceted needs of CCID’s diverse audience.
• Improved UX with streamlined navigation and clearer pathways throughout the site.
• Rebuilt site structure and information architecture to create more intuitive links between the services CCID provides.
• Creation of a news hub for blog posts, industry news and key announcements. 
• Enhanced SEO and GEO optimization, ensuring stronger visibility in search engines and AI tools.
• A more consistent and cohesive brand presence across all pages.

​Every aspect of the site was revamped and redesigned to help users find information faster, understand CCID’s value more clearly, and engage more effectively with its programs and offerings.

Strategic Vision Meets End‑to‑End Execution

According to Jackie, this was about more than a visual refresh: “This was a pivotal project for CCID – not just a simple website redesign. We reviewed every aspect of how CCID presented itself digitally and took a ground‑up approach when re-envisioning the new site.”

She added: “From content to brand consistency and scalable structure, every decision was made with long‑term performance in mind. The result is a site that not only looks better, but delivers significantly more value for CCID.”

Content across the site was not only redesigned, but significantly expanded and refined, resulting in a deeper, clearer, and more comprehensive resource for CCID’s members and partners. Jackie explained, "This included moving away from the static PDFs commonly found in the old site and instead, making content an integral part of the site build, as well as introducing a new blog, which gives CCID a dedicated space to share updates on their programs and services and provides a clear track record of the impact of their work.”

CCID: A Website Platform That Fully Reflects the Organization

CCID shared that selecting Jackfruit Marketing as its partner was driven by a need for both strategic guidance and hands‑on execution.

“We needed a partner who could think strategically and deliver at a very high level,” said Karen McBride, executive director at CCID. “Thanks to their expertise and deep knowledge of the international education industry, Jackfruit Marketing understood our goals and our audience immediately.  Jackie guided us through every step, and her project management skills ensured nothing fell through the cracks.”

​She continued: “The new website is a dramatic improvement over our previous one. The content is stronger, navigation is clearer, and the experience truly reflects who CCID is today. We’re extremely happy with the outcome and excited to have a digital platform that finally supports our mission and growth. We’re also especially proud to release the new site in 2026, as CCID celebrates its 50-year anniversary and embarks on the next stage of its vision.”

About CCID

CCID is a membership-based 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to advancing global education and internationalization at community, technical and vocational colleges.

CCID supports its members in a variety of ways including webinars, professional development programs, grant and scholarship funding, partnership development, advocacy, specialized training, year-round online networking and an annual conference.

At CCID’s 50th Annual Conference in Tucson, we were honored to recognize two exceptional leaders whose contributions have significantly advanced international education at community colleges. We extend our sincere congratulations to both award recipients for their leadership, innovation, and commitment to our industry.

​2026 Werner Kubsch Award

We are proud to present the 2026 award to Dr. Katie Caruso, Associate Vice Chancellor for Honors and International Education at Lone Star College in Texas.

The Werner Kubsch Award is presented annually to an international education advocate from a CCID member institution who has demonstrated outstanding achievement in advancing global engagement at community colleges. Dr. Caruso exemplifies this distinction through her visionary leadership and long-standing dedication to the field.

Her accomplishments include founding Lone Star College’s Honors College, establishing the Global Scholars Program—serving hundreds of students and thousands enrolled in international studies courses—launching the International Faculty Fellows Program, and developing the Global EdVantage Program to expand scalable global opportunities.

​Among other achievements, Dr. Caruso led her team to national recognition for excellence in international education, earning both the 2025 Andrew Heiskell Award and the 2026 Senator Paul Simon Award, reflecting the transformative impact of global engagement programs at the institutional level. A Fulbright alumna and former CCID Interim Executive Director, she exemplifies the spirit of the Werner Kubsch Award.

2026 Faculty Innovation in Global Education Award

We are also pleased to recognize Dr. Girija S. Shinde, Professor of Biology at Volunteer State Community College in Tennessee.

This award honors faculty who demonstrate outstanding innovation in advancing global engagement through teaching and co-curricular activities. Dr. Shinde’s work exemplifies this through her integration of global perspectives into the classroom and beyond.

Her initiatives include incorporating community-based wellness projects into her courses, fostering international collaboration with global scholars, leading study abroad programs in Japan, India, Ecuador, and Peru, and expanding access to education through online course development for rural students. Her dedication to global learning has had a profound impact on student engagement and success.

The University of Toledo and the Community Colleges for International Development created a partnership to examine the internationalization experience of community college students.

Staff members from both organizations came together to create the UT-CCID Internationalization Research Group, and created the Community College Student Internationalization Experience Survey.

The survey is designed to achieve several purposes, including:

• Documenting the internationalization experiences of students.
• Exploring the relationship between these internationalization experiences and the internationalization outcomes included on the survey instrument.
• Using the survey data to document college progress in comprehensive internationalization using CCID’s Comprehensive Framework for Internationalization.

The survey gathers information from all international and domestic students attending the college in a particular semester/quarter. The information gathered includes: 

• Demographic information
• Prior internationalization experiences
• Current curricular and co-curricular internationalization experiences  Internationalization outcomes
• Local-option questions provided by the participating community college

Participation cost for the CCSIES is based on the number of students enrolled at your institution and CCID member status:

CCID Member

• less than 500 students: $250
• 500- 10,000 students: $500
• more than 10,000 students: $600

 
Non-CCID Member

• less than 500 students: $500
• 500- 10,000 students: $750
• more than 10,000 students: $850

To encourage greater collaboration between Denmark and the U.S., CCID supported its members in 2025 via various programs.

​Danish Delegation to U.S.A.

• February 2025
• 13 Members (7 institutions and 6 ministries)
• 3 Member colleges visited

Virtual Exchange Classes

• 42 CCID member college faculty and staff participated, representing 16 U.S. member colleges and 3 Danish member colleges
• Topics included AI, Technology Innovation, and Biodiversity

Davidson-Davie Community College (DDCC) Visit to Denmark
To bolster an ongoing partnership in farming, landscaping, and agriculture, in November 2025 DDCC's Dean of Workforce & Community Engagement, and Dean of Arts, Sciences, & Business Technology visited with The Green Academy and Mercantec.

In September 2025, ISA Ireland hosted a Professional Development Program in Ireland. Three CCID Member Colleges and one CCID University Partner participated.

In addition, an Atlantic Technological University Showcase was held in Boston, Massachusetts and in Chicago, Illinois.

In 2025, CCID members also benefitted from a free intercultural training course entitled “Global Perspective through the Narratives of Ireland” by ISA Ireland.

​Finally, to support French - U.S. partnership development, in October 2025, three CCID member colleges visited Rennes School of Business in France.

Since 2024, CCID has hosted an international Virtual College Transfer Fair (VCTF) to help students identify top universities in the U.S. and abroad as destinations for bachelor and graduate degree programs following the completion of their associate degree at a community, technical or vocational college. Students looking for university options from various countries not currently enrolled at a college are also welcome to join this event.

Student registration is FREE and they may browse and interact with various university options - all from the comfort of their homes and phones. To date, hundreds of students from around the world have attended the VCTF. This is a free and accessible opportunity for students that compliments transfer fairs and events afforded by their home college.

The 2025 VCTF will be held on November 19, 2025 from 1:00-4:00pm CDT.

Community Colleges for International Development (CCID) is excited to announce that it is looking for its next host of the organization!

As we approach our 50th year of existence, and our 10th anniversary of being hosted at Lone Star College in Houston, Texas, CCID is embracing a new era of service and leadership. We are inviting community colleges and non-profit organizations interested in accelerating their international profiles to consider submitting an application to host the CCID organization starting September 1, 2026.

CCID will remain an independent 501(c)3 organization, but become a strategic partner and powerful asset to a new host entity that embraces and exemplifies our mission and values pertaining to championing global higher education and globally-skilled workers at community, technical and vocational colleges worldwide.

Applications are due no later than November 17th at 5:00pm CST. Additional details, timeline, Q&A session recording and Request for Proposals information may be accessed here.

Supercharge your support for international education and community colleges by becoming CCID’s next host!

Each year at our annual conference, CCID honors outstanding educators among our membership for their work in international education. On the final day during the Annual Awards Brunch, we announce the winners and present them with their award.

Werner Kubsch Award 2025 Winner

Mr. Andrew Ness
Dean, International Education
Humber Polytechnic

Andrew was recognized for his 30 years of experience in post-secondary education, having hosted more than 10,000 international students from 130 countries at Humber Polytechnic, managed more than 12 million CAD in contracted international development projects, contributing to national policy development for internationalization in Canada and being named one of 50 International Voices of 2024 by the PIE Awards.

Faculty Innovation in Global Education Award 2025 Winner

Dr. Jennifer L. O’Hara, J.D., Ed.D.
Professor, Business Law & Government
SUNY Corning Community College

Jennifer was recognized for being one of the first faculty at SUNY Corning to utilize COIL virtual exchange in the Spring of 2017 with a class in Mexico. She led the development of SUNY Corning’s Global Business curriculum, is a coordinator of faculty professional development, was awarded a Cornell Fellowship for Community College Internationalization and is a champion of instilling a global mindset into students.

Community Colleges for International Development (CCID) has partnered with the U.S. Embassy in Singapore to offer a unique partnership development opportunity between U.S. community colleges and Singaporean polytechnic institutions.

This program will connect key administrators and decision-makers from Singapore and the United States to strengthen TVET curriculum, student mobility, internships, research, institution-to-institution activity and educational and cultural ties between both countries. It will run from June 30 to July 2, 2025.

Partnership development between the U.S. and Singapore will focus on key academic and professional areas:

• Green Job Skills;
• Environmental Sustainability;
• Cybersecurity;
• Information Technology.

Representatives from six different colleges will be selected for travel to Singapore in June 2025 to develop partnerships with five polytechnic institutions.

Selected representatives will each be awarded a travel grant ($2,230 value) to offset the cost.

​Four to five additional college representatives may also be selected to participate and will self-fund their trip.

UPDATE!
We are pleased to report that 11 CCID member colleges participated in 2025 and explored opportunities such as: study abroad programs to Singapore, marketing US Community Colleges to the Singaporean market, virtual exchanges, and curriculum development.

The Foreign Service Fellowship for Emerging Leaders is a funded program designed to familiarize 20 young leaders with careers in the U.S. Foreign Service. Participants will explore pathways, sectors, opportunities and agencies that comprise the U.S. Foreign Service, and meet representatives to discuss their experiences.

• 2025 program dates: June 22 to 28 (apply by March 10, 2025)
• 2024 program dates: June 23 to 29

About the Program

The Meridian-Cox Foreign Service Fellowship for Emerging Leaders is a fully-paid enrichment and training program seeking to expand awareness and access to Foreign Service careers to students from communities across the United States. The Fellowship provides undergraduate students with insight into American diplomacy while underscoring educational, internship, and career paths within the U.S. Foreign Service. The program will spotlight the vital work of Foreign Service Officers, while also teaching the critical soft skills necessary to succeed in a diplomatic career. Fellows will enhance their understanding of diplomacy and international affairs through site visits while developing their career development skills through workshops and networking opportunities.

Activities:

• Interactive 3-day diplomatic skills training
• Diplomacy simulation
• Panel discussions with leaders from the diplomatic community
• Site visits
• A tour of DC monuments
• Cultural activities

Eligibility

Participants must be U.S. citizens who are university or community college students that plan to graduate with a Bachelor’s degree by May (2025, 2026 or 2027 depending on program date).

Applications from non-traditional students from historically underrepresented groups, such as first-generation and low-income, are encouraged to apply. Applicants should have an interest in international affairs and democracy. Only 20 students will be selected to participate.

Cost

This program covers airfare, ground transportation, accommodations, meals and a $500 stipend.

This program was made possible by the Uma Chapman Cox Foundation and the Meridian International Center in partnership with CCID.

​Read more about the 2025 program.

CCID offers free monthly webinars and member discounted professional development workshops on relevant topics designed to help members engage with the network and learn about new opportunities to internationalize your institution. For access to CCID's past recorded webinars, please use your member login. For information about upcoming events, please visit our webinars page.
Below are just a few of the resources available with CCID membership:

• CCID’s Framework for Comprehensive Internationalization (FCI)- The FCI tool helps schools establish an institutional profile by providing descriptions of institutional stages of development in broad categories and more specific subcategories. When an institution is finished using the tool it will have a simple profile establishing strengths and opportunities which can be used to easily establish institutional goals. 
• CCID Webinar on International Business Institutes- Learn about how to internationalize your business curriculum using resources from Michigan State’s Broad School of Business. Our member webinar with the Broad School of Business will provide information on hosting an International Business Institute at your campus. Access this webinar through your member login. 
• CCID Webinar on Virtual Exchange Basics- Learn the basics on virtual exchange from CCID’s Outreach Partner Gazelle International. Virtual exchange can help you internationalize curriculum and teach global competencies across the disciplines. Our member webinar on virtual exchange basics can be accessed through your member login. 

Check out these additional resources for internationalizing your institution:

• Culture Mapping- Based on Erin Meyer’s The Culture Map, this tool allows you to compare cultural dimensions in a variety of countries for presentations, student workshops, or leading cross-cultural working groups.
• Intercultural Ireland Content Library-The Intercultural Ireland Content Library was created by Irish teachers, to help you internationalize your lessons.  Mini-classes made by us in multiple fields of study are available for you to drop into your classes. We have created video-class teaching, plus a syllabus, learning outcome, resources and quizzes for you to incorporate into your lesson. 
• MIVILLE-GUZMAN UNIVERSALITY-DIVERSITY SCALE – SHORT FORM, (M-GUDS-S)-  This is a tested 15-question student questionnaire measuring awareness and acceptance of diversity.
• Virtual Exchange Resources- A wealth of resources on virtual exchange can be found on the Stevens Initiative website.
• Virtual Exchange Guide for SIOs- A comprehensive guide for senior international officers from the Stevens Initiative.

We are proud to share two success stories from the CCID PartnerFind network.
​
CCID PartnerFind allows members to search for potential institutional partners based on a variety of fields including enrollment, study abroad programs, co-curricular activities, English language programs, countries of engagement, and much more.

Non-members may purchase a customized CCID PartnerFind report to connect with colleges for potential partnership development. Contact us for more information at  info@ccidinc.org or +1 281 290 2909.

The Global Education Network

Kirkwood Community College is a member of the Global Education Network. The Global Education Network (GEN) provides a variety of study abroad options, work and collaborative project opportunities for students, exposing them to the global market. GEN provides students with innovative international learning experiences to help them gain employment on any continent.

The four premiere institutions that comprise GEN are:

1. Box Hill Institute (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia)
2. Institute of Technical Education (Singapore)
3. Kirkwood Community College (Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA)
4. SAIT Polytechnic (Calgary, Alberta, Canada)

In the summer of 2022, Kirkwood hosted the very unique GEN Project Management Global Learning Program for 3 weeks on the Kirkwood Campus in Cedar Rapids, IA. The GEN group arrived on Saturday, July 9th and departed on July 30th. The group consisted of a total of 23 students and faculty.

ITE Singapore sent 8, SAIT Canada sent 5 and Box Hill Institute sent 3. There were also 5 Kirkwood students participating. The course was team-taught by two Kirkwood Business faculty, Marilee Feldman and Sandy O\'Brien.

The students participated in a 3-week seminar course that focused on Project Management concepts directly linked to one of the largest events in the Midwest, the Great Jones County Fair, in Monticello Iowa. The two faculty leaders delivered some relevant project management content to the group and divided the group into several multicultural teams focused on different aspects of the Fair. They worked in teams to research the ins and outs of the Great Jones County Fair. Students analyzed attendee data, interviewed attendees and consulted with the organizers of the fair. The groups learned project management concepts, participated and observed directly several fair events, and got to know each other\s cultures and cultural perspectives on a very meaningful level.

GEN Global Learning Programs allow for an amazing study abroad exchange experience for GEN participants. The group also visited cultural sites around Cedar Rapids and Chicago as part of the program.

This project management program involves all four college's faculty meeting virtually prior to the experience to plan the itinerary and set expectations. In 2023, the program will move to Calgary where a whole new group of GEN students will have the opportunity to take on a Canadian project from a multicultural viewpoint! GEN also offers Global Learning Programs in other disciplines such as Design Thinking.

Tacoma Community College Partners with Japanese Institution

Tacoma and Kitakyushu, Japan, have been sister cities since 1959. Through this mutual relationship, Tacoma Community College (TCC) has offered a special short-term study program for students from our partner institution in Kitakyushu for the last 8 years.

In October 2016, the Third Asia Future Conference was held in Kitakyushu, which brought together educators and students from all over Asia around the theme of "Environment and Coexistence". A delegation of TCC faculty and staff participated in the conference and also visited the partner university.

Professor Kristen Harrison, Dr. Ralph Hitz and Dr. Shaun Henderson from the department of Science and Engineering at TCC presented "Citizen Science Research in Non-Science Major Classes at Tacoma Community College." This presentation was about four community-based environmental science projects that our students contribute to every quarter at TCC. It sparked a lively discussion about active learning with the other presenters in our session.

The conference also allowed the TCC delegation to explore the area of Kitakyushu through all-day study tours. Among the attractions visited were Akiyoshidai Cave, one of the largest limestone caves in Asia, Tokoji Buddhist Temple built in 1691, and the samurai estates of old town Hagi. In particular, Dr. Henderson highlighted the environmentally friendly buildings and communities of Kitakyushu including the Toto museum, the Environment museum, the Natural History museum and the Hagashida smart-community experimental area.

After the conference closed, the TCC delegation met with professors from the university, first at the main campus and then at the satellite STEM campus. The purpose of these meetings were for researchers to share their work in the fields of environmental and botanical sciences. Administrators also discussed opportunities for study abroad programs and faculty exchanges.

In addition to the conference activities, TCC International Programs Office staff member, Namiko Bagirimvano, was able to facilitate a pre-departure orientation for future students who will be attending TCC in Spring 2017. A dinner event was also held for TCC alumni in order to continue cultivating relationships with the campus and students.

The TCC delegation feels incredibly lucky to have gone on this memorable trip. A hopeful outcome for the next several years is to bring TCC students to Kitakyushu for a cultural immersion trip or as part of an environmental studies course that compares the cities of Tacoma and Kitakyushu. In the meantime, we reaffirmed our commitment to cooperation for the continuous improvement of student services and program offerings.

Community Colleges for International Development (CCID) member institutions will have access to learning opportunities, internships and programs thanks to an agreement with U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) signed during the 48th Annual CCID  Conference, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

In addition, the agreement provides opportunities for formerly incarcerated students, Internships with USAID hosted programs, virtual education programs aligned with Career Technical Education (CTE) and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), both with USAID in Washington and with USAID missions and comparable educational institutions abroad.

“CCID and USAID recognize the importance of educational institutions, but particularly U.S. community, technical, and vocational colleges, as a primary resource responsible for workforce development and service to both urban and rural communities,” said Dr. Karen McBride, CCID Executive Director. “Similarly, our community, technical and vocational counterparts abroad train an ever increasing percentage of their respective countries workforces to meet rapidly changing demands of local economies, global security threats, weather extremes, digitization, and technology and more.”

According to McBride, nearly half of the current U.S. workforce has attended a community college.

"Community colleges have been drivers of local workforce development for the past century, specializing in technical skills such as welding, manufacturing, agriculture and construction while expanding upon more traditional curricula in business, science and the arts,“ she says. “Their affordable, open-access model is a big reason for U.S. sustained social mobility and economic stability.”

“This affordable model now extends to the global marketplace for learning and workforce development. U.S. community colleges not only reflect this trend but they continue to evolve, adding to their academic strengths through innovating teaching important to keep the classroom experience relevant to today’s needs,” McBride adds. “They also reflect our diverse society and perspectives.  We are proud to partner with USAID to accelerate their global reach, creating new partnerships with similar institutions across borders and addressing the nation, and the world’s, most pressing challenges.”

According to USAID Counselor Clinton D. White, USAID has a long history of working with institutions of higher learning, but more recently has sought to increase such engagement as part of a renewed commitment to a broader partner base and promoting a next generation of development professionals.
​
“USAID higher education programs have led to increased food yields, development of new vaccines, encouragement of entrepreneurship and much more,” White says. “So, we know their value as a means to prepare the global workforce for new job opportunities connected as they are to a changing economy, GDP growth and reduced poverty. We expect this partnership with CCID and its member institutions will benefit their students as well as help us to achieve our development goals.  It’s a win-win.”

CCID is a non-profit, membership-based organization comprising a global network of community, technical, and vocational institutions dedicated to advancing internationalization initiatives at the collegiate level.

USAID leads the U.S. government’s international development and disaster assistance through partnerships and investments that save lives, reduce poverty, strengthen democratic governance, and help people emerge from humanitarian crises.

Criteria

International students are eligible to apply for the scholarship if:

• You are a new international student accepted for full-time study at CCID member institutions that has accepted the LanguageCert test as proof of English proficiency.
• You have taken the LanguageCert Academic test (please contact your college as they may have free test tokens to share with you. If not, here is a discount code which takes 20% off the price of the test - 05454D).
• You have submitted it to one of the following CCID member institutions that you plan to attend.
• You have answered the prompts in the application.

Application

• There are a total of 4 scholarships available for 2025.
• Eligible international students includes any student who will be in their first semester of study at the college level (Spring or Fall starts) and are recognized by the institution as an international student who does not reside in the country in which they will be attending school.
• Preference will be given to students that submit their LanguageCert scores at the time of scholarship application though students may take the LanguageCert Academic after submitting their application.
• Applicants must submit answers for the two prompts below (maximum 300 words per prompt). Please do not exceed the word limit for the essays as it will disqualify your application.
• Answers should be submitted on a word document and uploaded to the application site as indicated.

Award
​

• Scholarships for this program are awarded on a competitive basis, and all applications will be reviewed and scored by the CCID scholarship committee.
• Awards will only be made to students whose enrollment is confirmed by the CCID member school on the official census day (varies by school)
• Answers will be evaluated and scored based on the quality of the responses and how well they reflect your personal story and/or experiences
• Scholarships will be transferred to the colleges upon student matriculation and arrival.
• Funds for the scholarship will be sent directly to the institution and applied directly to the student's account.

Participating CCID Member Colleges

United States:

• Cañada College
• Chandler-Gilbert Community College
• College of San Mateo
• College of Southern Nevada
• Davidson-Davie Community College
• Edmonds College
• Elgin Community College
• Estrella Mountain Community College
• Fresno City College
• GateWay Community College
• Glendale Community College
• Green River College
• Harper College
• Hawaiʻi Community College
• Highline College
• Hillsborough Community College
• Jefferson State Community College
• Kirkwood Community College
• Leeward Community College
• Madison Area Technical College
• Maricopa County Community Colleges
• MiraCosta College
• Moraine Valley Community College
• Norco City College
• Paradise Valley Community College
• Phoenix College
• Reedley College
• Rio Salado College
• Riverside City College
• Scottsdale Community College
• Sinclair College
• Skyline College
• Snow College
• South Mountain Community College
• Spokane Community College
• Spokane Falls Community College
• Truckee Meadows Community College

 
Canada:

• Humber Polytechnic
• Mohawk College

Learn more about CCID scholarships for international students.

The Community College Global Affairs Fellowship (CCGAF) is a paid summer enrichment and mentorship program that seeks to expand access to global education opportunities and international affairs careers to community college, transfer, and non-traditional students. It will run from June 18 to July 1, 2023.

Eligibility

Participants must be U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents who are community college, transfer, or non-traditional students from historically underrepresented groups, such as first-generation and low-income, as well as overlooked regions of the country. Applicants that have or will be receiving an Associate’s Degree by August 2023 AND/OR plan to be starting at a 4-year university by Fall 2023 preferred.

Selection Process

We are looking for individuals broadly interested in international affairs and democracy. This means you may know or want to learn foreign languages, live abroad, embrace a variety of cultures and diversity, study global issues, be civically engaged, and defend and champion democratic values, such as free and fair elections and an open and independent press.

A committee composed of representatives from Community Colleges for International Development with participation from Global Community College Transfers and Meridian International Center will review all applications. Based on the information provided in their applications, a select number of applicants will be asked to participate in a 15-minute phone or video conference interview.

Applicants will be notified of selection on or before April 14, 2023.

Program Details

The CCGAF provides evidence-based skill-building, mentorship, and 1:1 coaching. It also offers ongoing access to networks and career supports that global affairs students and professionals need to grow in their work, advance to higher levels of leadership, and become decision-makers on the world stage.

It builds upon the success of GCCT’s community college and transfer student mentorship program, advances CCID’s work building pathways to global careers at community colleges, and leverages Meridian’s experience developing leadership and diplomatic training for emerging leaders around the world.

The Community College Global Affairs Fellowship has two primary components:

• a virtual 1:1 mentorship program
  
• a two-week in-person Summer Enrichment Program

Virtual mentorship program

The virtual mentorship program will begin on May 30 and run through August 16, 2023. Fellows are paired with current international affairs practitioners, many of whom were community college/transfer students.

The diverse pool of mentors include Boren, Critical Language, Erasmus Mundus, Fulbright, Marshall, Payne, Pickering, Rangel, and Schwarzman Scholars, along with Presidential Management Fellows and others in the public service sphere. Many work for NGOs, think tanks or government agencies (federal, state and local).

The mentorship program consists of compulsory online weekly workshops on topics like resume writing and networking skills, routine mentor-mentee meetings, and completion of several small assignments contributing to the fellow’s professional and personal development.

The time commitment for the mentorship component is three hours per week for fellows, including time spent in workshops and completing assignments. The workshops are generally held in the evening (5:10 pm PT/8:10 pm ET).

Summer program

The fully paid Summer Enrichment Program will take place in Washington, DC from June 18 to July 1, 2023. Activities include diplomatic skills training course, briefings on how U.S. foreign policy is made, a series of career panel discussions, visits to Federal Agencies and cultural institutions, and more. It includes $128 daily stipend plus fully-paid food, travel and lodging expenses.

Outcomes

​Participation in this fellowship will help you:

• Build knowledge of different international affairs career pathways.
• Provide you with the awareness, tools and network (relationships) to more effectively obtain scholarships, fellowships, and job opportunities in the field of international affairs.
• Develop better understand how diplomatic skills like cultural competency are crucial to the field of international affairs.
• Become part of a national network of community college and transfer students interested/working in international affairs and public service.

The Requirements 

Fellows are expected to participate fully in all aspects of both the mentorship and summer enrichment programs, including attending meetings and completion of all assignments. Fellows are required to prepare one scholarship, fellowship, internship, or job application during the course of the fellowship program. This could include anything from an application to intern with your Member of Congress in Washington to an application for the Peace Corps abroad.

You will need to upload your resume and your most recent college transcript. This may be an unofficial transcript. One letter of recommendation is encouraged, but not required.

Costs

The Community College Global Affairs Fellowship summer enrichment program is designed as a fully paid program. Fellows will be paid a daily stipend of $128.08 as well as receive per diem for meals and incidentals for each day of the summer enrichment program. Roundtrip airfare, lodging in Washington, DC and ground transportation to and from the airport in Washington, DC (IAD, DCA or BWI) will all be covered.

This program was made possible by a partnership between Meridian International Center, Global Community College Transfers (GCCT), and Community Colleges for International Development (CCID). It is funded through the generous support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

When: September 22-28, 2022
Where: ​Dublin City and ISAI Campus, Donegal, Ireland

Reboot Your Internationalization Program

The Institute of Study Abroad Ireland (ISAI) has successfully developed long-term partnerships with many U.S. Schools and Colleges, and in association with CCID, we have created a short professional development study trip in Ireland. Our seminars will discuss best practices for faculty-led programs. We focus on how providers and sending schools can work together to provide programs that are accessible to a wide range of students, and that deliver structured and focused academic learning outcomes compatible with the ethos and goals of the college courses.

​Topics will include timelines for programming, ensuring academic excellence, effective methods of collaboration between study abroad advisors and faculty leaders, models for new initiatives and collaborative/consortia projects, program promotion to students, and a successful integration of study abroad goals with the overall goals of the sending institutions. Our seminars are conducted by experienced study abroad professionals from the U.S. and expert providers in Ireland.

Join a professional development forum for Early College, Community College & Consortia Administrators, Study Abroad Advisors and Faculty leaders, interested in creating or increasing the capacity of the educational institution to offer high quality, affordable and accessible short-term study abroad programming.

We will focus on how to create effective short-term, faculty-led, study abroad programs for educational institutions that meet:

• Institutional goals
• Curriculum goals
• Faculty Engagement 
• Student Engagement
• Modern Approaches to Internationalization

Faculty Lead Discussions

Our seminars and workshops will cover:

• Building and using online content in your classroom
• Growing faculty and institutional enthusiasm for internationalizing
• Logistics and supports for both online courses and study travel
• Creating collaborative partnerships with other institutions
• Addressing the challenges of post-Covid travel and cultural competency

Forum facilitators:

• Stephanie Kelly Ph.D. - Executive Director CCID
• Niamh Hamill Ph.D. - Director ISAI
• John O’Connell - Director ISAI

Forum Objectives

It is widely acknowledged that students who get the opportunity to travel abroad can have transformative learning experiences. However, administrators and faculty are keen to develop study abroad programs that are integrated with institutional goals such as interdisciplinary teaching, the development of critical and comparative thinking, and personal development. Study trips that are included as a course component and are evaluated accurately in terms of evidence of learning, and of value to the institution and leading faculty, are now the goal.

​A well-executed and planned short-term program as a component of a college or school course requires engagement and expertise, from curriculum planning to the logistics of travel, and demands the engagement of administrators, faculty, the study abroad providers, and the travelling student. For many students, programs are also required to be affordable, accessible and appealing to a diverse student body. 

Provisional Itinerary

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22

• Depart USA for Dublin, Ireland

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23

• Check in to Dublin Hotel and  introductory Workshop: Ireland &  Academic Study Abroad  Programming for Higher Ed Colleges
• Guided Tour of Epic Ireland Diaspora Exhibition
• Group dinner and discussion

SATURDAY,SEPTEMBER 24

• Travel to Institute of Study Abroad  Ireland campus in Donegal, Lunch at Hill of Tara
• Evening Seminar: Interdisciplinary Approaches to online & Study Trip Programming
• Traditional Irish meal and music session

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25

• Presentation: Using Shared Narratives to Internationalize the Curriculum
• Presentation: The Fear Factor in Study Abroad
• ​Guided field trip to Donegal Tweed Center & Sliabh Liag Cliffs
• Evening Meal in Killybegs

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26

• Lecture: The Civil Rights Journey of Northern Ireland
• Visit to Letterkenny Institute of Technology
• Field trip to Derry City, Northern Ireland, including Bloody Sunday Civil Rights Museum
• Group dinner and discussion

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27

• Presentation: Logistics & Planning a Faculty-led study trip
• Return to Dublin via Yeats country
• Debrief, Q&A and Lunch in Dublin
• Check-in to Dublin Hotel
• Forum Concludes

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28

• Return to USA/Own time in Ireland

Fees
​

• Early bird cost: $840 per person, double occupancy*, booked by June 30 2022
• Normal cost: $980 per person, double  occupancy*, booked after June 30 2020
• Single room supplement: $550 (Total)

Fee includes: 2 nights in Dublin (4* Hotel), 3 nights at ISAI Campus Donegal (Private Apartments), all land transfers, breakfast and evening meals, training, lectures, field trips and other excursions.

*Cost does not include airfare from USA and supplements apply for single rooms

Community college students represent a disproportionately small percentage of students who participate in gateway opportunities important to pursuing careers in foreign service and global affairs. Internationalization opportunities, such as study abroad and nationally competitive government scholarships involving global learning, are often prerequisites to pursuing these types of careers.

Many community college international offices do not have the resources necessary to effectively disseminate information to students about internationalization opportunities that lead to these types of career pathways. This disconnect between internationalization opportunities and career pathways creates barriers to global learning and the pursuit of careers in foreign service and global affairs for community college students. This pilot seeks to address some of these barriers for community college students.

Project Overview

The goal of this project will be to expand access to global learning opportunities at community colleges, increase the number of community college students applying for nationally competitive international opportunities and increase students’ knowledge about careers in foreign service and global affairs. To meet this goal, the pilot will help participating colleges build structured, institutional funnels for information from partners at IIE, American Councils, Gilman Scholarship, Critical Language Scholarship and other opportunity providers. The result will be a streamlined approach to sharing and disseminating information about various programs to students and an increase in the number of students taking advantage of global opportunities and career pathways in US government agencies.

Twenty community colleges will be selected to participate in the pilot to achieve the goals of the project.

Participating colleges will receive the following:

• Free access to the Community College Students Internationalization Experience Survey (CCSIES) to help colleges better understand the internationalization experiences of their students and the impacts they have on student success metrics.
• Created by faculty from the University of Toledo and the executive staff from Community Colleges for International Development, the Community College Students Internationalization Experience Survey (CCSIES) is an online survey program for community colleges that documents students’ curricular and co-curricular internationalization experiences. It has been designed so that community colleges can track student involvement in internationalization experiences, and explore the impact of these involvements with academic and affective outcomes, including the likelihood of persisting and graduating from the college, academic achievement, familiarity with internationalization opportunities, and self-confidence in ability to work in the global economy and to be involved in the future with international activities.
• Access for students from participating institutions to register for summer/early fall workshops to help prepare students for applying for the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship and the Critical Language Scholarship.
• Information about and access for students to attend Global Community College Transfer’s summer Institute and apply for mentoring opportunities.
• Curated information from CCID and Partners on a wide range of scholarships and international program opportunities from our partners at American Councils, Gilman, Department of State, Cultural Vistas, First Trip and more!
• Access to a network of community college educators via pilot orientation and semester check-ins to discuss and brainstorm best practices to expand access to global learning on campus.

Participating colleges will agree to the following:

• Identify one individual (faculty or staff) at the institution as the pilot lead who will be responsible for attending a virtual pilot orientation, one virtual fall meeting, and one virtual wrap-up meeting.
• Agree to disseminate the Community College Students Internationalization Experience Survey (CCSIES) to their students in early fall 2021.
• Agree to work with campus stakeholders to disseminate information about appropriate gateway opportunities and pilot student event opportunities to students.
• Agree to hold at least one campus event (virtual or face-to-face) in early Fall 2021 to promote gateway opportunities to students.

Eligibility:

• Participating institutions must be a community college or an institution that primarily offers 2-year degrees and workforce certificates/diplomas. Institutions outside the United States are welcome to participate but the majority of opportunities discussed will be for students in the United States and/or U.S. citizens. 
• Pilot lead must be a full-time employee (faculty/staff/administrator) of the participating institution.

To apply to be a part of the pilot, please fill out the interest form. Institutions will be selected based on first come basis after prioritizing geographic diversity and diversity in institutional size.