Cal State Long Beach Receives Study Abroad Grant

Cal State Long Beach will receive a $25,000 innovation grant for study abroad and exchange programs under President Barack Obama’s 100,000 Strong in the Americas initiative. CSULB competed against more than 150 proposals for the grant.

Obama launched the initiative with the goal of 100,000 U.S. students participating each year by 2020. According to the State Department, about 40,000 U.S. students study in Latin America and the Caribbean and around 64,000 Latin American and Caribbean students study in the United States each year.

The Obama Administration says that the program will help strengthen ties between the regions and better prepare students for careers in a 21st Century global economy. CSULB’s grant was awarded to the National Council of La Raza/CSULB Center for Latino Community Health and its Centro Salud es Cultura in Long Beach, officials said.

The grant will be used to create a 12-day study abroad program with partners at the Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán in Mérida, Mexico, Kaxil Kiuic Biocultura Reserve and other regional partners.

“This is an excellent opportunity for Cal State Long Beach to cement partnerships in the region for students today and in the future,” Enrique Rios-Ellis, a lecturer in the Chicano and Latino Studies Department, said in a statement. “This course will be offered Aug. 4-15 and will continue to be offered each summer afterwards.”

Both graduate and undergraduate students from all majors are eligible to participate. Partial scholarships are available to the first 15 students who enroll to help cover the cost of student flights and other expenses.

regions: Los Angeles

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