Washington, DC - From November 14-18, the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education will celebrate International Education Week (IEW), encouraging Americans and international students alike to seek opportunities to study abroad, make connections with peers in other countries, and ultimately to see themselves as actors in and shapers of both their local communities and a globalized future.

To open IEW, the State Department in collaboration with the Institute of International Education, publishes the annual Open Doors report of trends in study abroad. For the first time, more than one million international students studied at U.S. institutions of higher education, a 7 percent increase from the previous year. The total number of U.S. students studying abroad is also on the rise.

The theme for IEW in 2016 is “empowering youth through international education.” Throughout the week, events at schools and universities across the country and around the world will focus on the importance of international education in today’s global economy and why more students should have access to these experiences. The State Department is announcing a new collaboration with Diversity Abroad to work toward diversifying participation in international education overall and through exchange programs such as the Fulbright Program, the Critical Language Scholarship Program, and the Gilman Program. Additionally, the State Department will hold Passport to the World events throughout this month to encourage U.S. citizens to apply for a passport.