IIE congratulates Northern Arizona University on receipt of the 2024 Andrew Heiskell Award for Innovation in International Education. The University widened access to international education by designing the Global Citizen Project Scholars (GCPS) program, which pools financial and administrative support from throughout campus to make international education economically accessible to all. As a benefit of receiving the Heiskell Awards, IIE is publishing guest entries from each recipient institution.
What is unique about the population NAU serves and how did the challenges they face inspire the Global Citizens Project Scholars (GCPS) program?
Northern Arizona University (NAU) sits at the base of the San Francisco Peaks, on homelands sacred to Native Americans throughout the region, and has recently received the Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) designation. As a university, we strive to provide access to higher education for all Indigenous and First Generation students. Education Abroad wanted to extend this access to international opportunities. Our team noticed students were starting, but not completing, their study abroad applications, indicating their interest to participate paired with hesitance to commit. The Global Citizens Project Scholars (GCPS) program aims to ensure that financial barriers do not keep students from going abroad. It allows them to gain cultural competencies that can only be developed by traveling and experiencing programs abroad.
To design the program, I used the model of a similar project I implemented on a smaller scale at my previous institution in collaboration with the Honors College. At NAU, the Honors College has a student base of nearly 2,000 students and also wanted to create more affordable multidisciplinary global programs. The program is open to all academic majors because it focuses on global citizenship. Initially, I worked with the Dean to develop accessible programming just for Honors students. Then, we decided to include Honors-eligible, Indigenous, and First Generation students to increase access for those not officially in the NAU Honors program
How did NAU structure the GCPS program and what does it entail?
GCPS uses a model of campus partnerships based on the complementary goal of expanding access to study abroad. Led by the Center for International Education (CIE), we are building a base of study abroad supporters on campus who pool financial and human resources to support GCPS. All participants receive an automatic $3,000 scholarships to reach students from all financial backgrounds, which brings the total program cost to $600 to $900 per student, including flights. CIE has dedicated funding to support part of the program. Collaborating with the Honors College and the Economic Policy Institute at NAU has enabled the program to triple in size in our third year. We are also working with donors and other funding mechanisms to ensure sustainability in the future.
The GCPS program starts with a six-week online spring course discussing identity, global citizenship, rural community development, language and culture, and responsible service learning to include public health issues. Students read a literary piece about their host country/region. After a pre-departure orientation, the students and faculty attend a nine to 11 day study abroad program in the summer. To help students maintain forward academic momentum, students earn 1.00 upper division credit towards their major or Honors requirement.
What made the program successful and what results have you seen through GCPS?
With affordability as the cornerstone of the program, we had to identify partners in each country with the same goal of providing quality experiences at a lower price point. DELCO Abroad in Ecuador was our initial partner for all three years. Their commitment to providing affordable programming with excellent community connections, guest lecturers, and excursions laid the path for others to do the same. Molise Italian Studies in Italy and WinAnn Tours in Vietnam joined our efforts in year three, allowing us to expand GCPS to three continents.
So far, 20% of our GCPS participants have continued with other study abroad programs in their college experience. “I never thought I would have the chance to see something so beautiful outside of the U.S. This program opened my mind to more than I could have imagined” said Armando. 100% of students who participated stated that they hope to travel in the future and continue their international exploration.
The Heiskell Award was created in 2001 to promote and honor outstanding international higher education initiatives conducted by IIENetwork members. By recognizing excellence and innovation, IIE supports IIENetwork members in their endeavors, encourages the expansion and creation of initiatives based on these successful models, and amplifies the important role of international higher education on campuses and communities. Each winning initiative receives $1,000 to contribute to their ongoing success. Learn more about the awards and honorees at iie.org/HeiskellAwards