Grant to Windward CC to Fund New Undergraduate Study Abroad Program

Windward Community College
Contact:
Bonnie J Beatson, (808) 235-7374
Mktg & Public Rel Dir, Chancellor's Office
Charles Sasaki, 808-235-7416
Dean of Academic Affairs
Posted: Jul 14, 2016

Windward Community College was recently selected by the U.S. Department of State and Partners of the Americas as one of 18 colleges and universities, out of an applicant pool of 160, to receive a capacity building grant for undergraduate study abroad. The $50,000 award provides funds to expand Windward CC’s capacity to create and administer a new study abroad program and to diversify the students who study abroad.

Study abroad is a transformative experience that provides young Americans with the skills and knowledge they need to contribute to a global society, solve global challenges, and compete in a global economy. Windward’s project, the “Foothold Abroad Initiative,” seeks to establish a “foothold” for Windward CC students by partnering with the University of Essex in the UK, and Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi in New Zealand to create two new short-term programs designed specifically for Windward CC students in any discipline. It hopes to have approximately 40 students participate in the first year. Windward’s new week-long study abroad programs will tentatively be available to UH students during the March 2017 spring break.

The Foothold Abroad Initiative will be led by Sarah Hadmack and Nick Logue, both Windward CC faculty members and representatives of the college’s International Education Committee. Dean of Academic Affairs Charles Sasaki will serve as principal investigator.

As Sasaki explains, “International study abroad can be logistically difficult and expensive and can sometimes remain out of the realm of possibility for many community college students. We’re so pleased that our proposal to fit a compressed study abroad experience into spring break was selected for funding. It’s our hope that we’ll be able to make international learning more accessible for our students.”

Capacity building grants for U.S. undergraduate study abroad further the State Department’s mission of expanding and diversifying U.S. study abroad by enhancing the capacity of U.S. higher education institutions to send their students overseas for academic credit, internships or other experiential learning opportunities. This opportunity is part of the State Department’s new U.S. study abroad branch, located within its Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.