Denver Nonprofit Aims to Expand Across Colorado to Increase Impact Among Rural and Urban Youth
WASHINGTON, November 8, 2024 — The Institute of International Education (IIE) today announced the Denver-based nonprofit World at Hand as the recipient of the second annual IIE Center for Access and Equity Empower Award. World at Hand delivers free educational programming and support services for low-income and other underrepresented college students to learn about, access, and fund study abroad. The organization has served approximately 200 students since 2022.
IIE created the Empower Award last year to honor organizations and individuals making outstanding contributions to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access (DEIA) in the field of international higher education. The award also serves to elevate strategic models of advancing access and equity in the field. International education leaders and practitioners in town for the Global Inclusion Conference convened for the October 29th award ceremony at IIE’s Washington, D.C., office, where Co-President Jason Czyz presented the award to Shawn Wall, the Founder and Executive Director of World at Hand. IIE Executive Vice President Courtney Temple and Lindsay Gee Calvert, the Center’s Director, also delivered remarks, informing attendees about the Center, the award, and reflecting on World at Hand’s exceptional commitment to expanding access to international education among low-income, first-generation, and other underrepresented college student populations.
“Grassroots organizations are so important to the work that we are doing at IIE,” said Czyz. “The only way that we can change the demographics of those who study abroad is through the work that good organizations like World at Hand are doing. We are honored to present the second annual IIE Empower Award to World at Hand.”
Despite being one of the fastest-growing populations on U.S. campuses today, first-generation college students are far less likely to access the multiplier effects of studying or interning abroad, according to the Consortium for Analysis of Student Success through International Education (CASSIE) statistics. CASSIE research has shown that college students who studied abroad were more likely to graduate in four years and earn higher GPAs; among underrepresented populations such as racial minorities, first-generation, and students receiving financial aid, the positive effects of studying abroad significantly increased.
Yet perceptions of the importance of world affairs and international relations are shifting among the youngest generations of Americans as well. A 2022 Chicago Council on Foreign Affairs survey showed that Gen Z and Millennial Americans were more likely to question the value of U.S. involvement in world affairs and are less interested in international affairs compared to older Americans.
“There are incredible opportunities for college students to reap the benefits of international education but, first, they need exposure to it,” said Lindsay Gee Calvert, Director of the IIE Center for Access and Equity. “Organizations like World at Hand are enabling equity by making sure marginalized students are not left behind; they simply need more support and visibility to serve even more future leaders.”
World at Hand specializes in building awareness and exposure not only among students but also their support systems. Its program framework consists of four components:
- introducing international travel and study through free courses, webinars, and resources for students and their caregivers;
- reinforcing knowledge and removing barriers, such as assistance in passport applications/acquiring a passport and offering funding;
- creating access through scholarships by finding opportunities and showing students how to apply for funding towards study abroad; and
- post-abroad programs designed to help students process and reflect on their time abroad and apply skills gained.
“Eighty-five percent of students who complete World at Hand’s first three steps gain their first international experience or access cross cultural opportunities within a year,” said Shawn Wall, World at Hand founder and Denver native. “By providing pathways for students to gain exposure, skills, and funding, World at Hand aims to cultivate a generation of globally-minded leaders who might not otherwise have these opportunities. Receiving the IIE Empower Award fuels our mission to break down barriers and open doors to life-changing global experiences. We’re grateful for IIE’s support and look forward to expanding our impact together.”
Currently focused on low-income, first-generation college students in the Denver, Colorado area, World at Hand collaborates with non-profits, colleges, and foundations to power its local model. It aims to expand the program across the state to increase its impact among low-income students from both urban and rural areas.
One organization and three individuals received honorable mentions from the Center: the Fund for Education Abroad, which provides study abroad scholarships for students with financial need; Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship alumnus and journalist Hyuntaek Lee; Foothill College faculty Miloni Gandhi, who initiated the minority-serving institution’s “Springternship;” and Rukhsar Balkhi, founder of the online education Noda Academy for Afghan youths and alumna of the IIE-administered Qatar-American Scholarship for Afghans Project (QSAP).
The IIE Center for Access and Equity Empower Award paves the way for further collaboration and opens new avenues for joint initiatives in the DEIA and international education landscapes. Last year, NAFSA: Association of International Educators accepted the IIE Empower Award for its contributions to advancing DEIA in international education. Learn more about the Empower Award and the Center at www.iie.org/cae.
About the IIE Center for Access and Equity
The IIE Center for Access and Equity aims to advance accessible programming and equitable practices in community building that enrich and expand international education, exchange, and opportunity for all. Through dialogue and action, the Center leverages programs and partnerships that examine the intersection of international education with diversity, equity, inclusion, and access; cultivates global learning to support engagement and understanding of individuals and communities; and supports access for underrepresented communities by examining and addressing structural inequities. Learn more at www.iie.org/CAE.
About the Institute of International Education
The Institute of International Education (IIE) is the leader in designing and implementing international education strategies and program services. We work with governments, policymakers, educators, and employers across the globe to prepare students and professionals for the global workforce and equip them to solve the increasingly complex challenges facing our interconnected world. With support from donors, we also create initiatives that assist students, scholars, and artists whose lives and work are threatened; expand teaching and learning across cultures; and provide opportunities to underserved populations. A not-for-profit organization founded in 1919, IIE has an extensive network of offices and affiliates worldwide and over 1,600 higher education partners. Visit iie.org to learn more.
About World at Hand
World at Hand is a Denver-based nonprofit dedicated to making international education accessible to underserved and underrepresented students. Through its International Education Equitable Access Pipeline (IEEAP), World at Hand addresses the barriers that prevent students from experiencing global opportunities, offering a series of programs that guide them from foundational knowledge to post-abroad career support. The organization serves a diverse student population with tailored programs, scholarship opportunities, and partnerships to ensure that global experiences become accessible to all.