Washington, DC - On Monday, December 14th, Vice President Joe Biden commemorated the second-year anniversary of President Obama’s 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund in the White House Indian Treaty Room.
The Vice President recognized the successful public-private sector collaboration between the White House, U.S. Department of State, Partners of the Americas, and NAFSA: Association of International Educators, and public and private sector partners who have joined forces since December 2013 to support new and innovative university partnerships that advance the President's signature educational initiative for the Western Hemisphere.
During the event led by the Vice President, twenty-two (22) new 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund grant winning partnerships were announced between community colleges and universities in the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
Award-winning institutions will implement new study abroad programs that will increase student mobility in the Americas, provide students with new technical and linguistic skills, and enhance regional cooperation and competitiveness. These higher education institutions will work together to create new and sustainable programs to expand access to study abroad opportunities for students in the Americas and to prepare them for the 21st century global workforce.
Support for these new 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund grants was made possible by the following public and private sector partners: Department of State of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the Campus Puerto Rico initiative; Colombia's Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje (SENA) and the CAF-Development Bank of Latin America; and, with ExxonMobil.
During the event on December 14, 2015, new commitments to the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund were announced by Red de MacroUniversidades de America Latina y el Caribe; The Coca-Cola Foundation; and Fundación Televisa.
For more information about the Innovation Fund winners and partners, visit www.100kStrongAmericas.org.
