“All politics are local.” A grassroots approach is necessary to convincing parents, communities and businesses that study abroad matters on a personal level, to the community and will have an impact on business.
- Reach out to local businesses to create scholarships, internships and pathways for local colleges and universities.
- Encourage study abroad alumni to bring their international message back to their communities—schools, local newspaper, community events, fundraisers for scholarships.
- Create a mechanism for supporting local programs and projects that help connect the local to the global; involve relevant superintendents, principals, teachers, students and parents in an effort to share successes and build on them.
- Create a “local-resources” repository that lists all the organizations that identify local economics tied to global business to make the case for parents and communities, including Sister Cities International, Asia Society’s “Mapping the Nation” and East-West Centers “Asia Matters for America” project.
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This blog entry summarizes Idea 10 of 11 “Big Ideas” brainstormed during IIE’s Generation Study Abroad Think Tank event in March 2014. They are compiled in the IIE Green Paper, “What will it take to Double Study Abroad?”