December 12, 2023: Partners of the Americas, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, CAF, Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, and U.S. embassies, announce six new 100K Strong in the Americas award-winning teams of higher education institutions in the United States and in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
This particular 100K Strong grant competition is focused on climate action and inclusive education and is generously supported by CAF, Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean in collaboration with the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs and the U.S. Embassy in Chile.
The six new sets 100K Strong grant-winning teams will receive $50,000 each to expand inclusive, climate-action focused student and faculty exchange programs that will provide new technical and linguistic skills imperative for workforce development. Climate-action training and exchanges will focus on water management, coastal pollution, sustainable/electric transportation, green hydrogen, public health, urban agriculture, climate change, and indigenous approaches to sustainability, among others.
These new 100K Strong grant-winning teams will engage six universities in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay in partnership with U.S. universities in six U.S. states to implement new models of inclusive, climate-action exchange and training programs in 2024-2025. This new 100K Strong Climate grant competition will expand regional education cooperation with the Southern Cone and support the U.S. Department of State’s goals to ensure a greener, more inclusive, prosperous Hemisphere.
“I feel very honored to announce the six winning teams of the 100,000 Strong in the Americas round focused on the topic of climate action – three from Chile, one from Argentina, one from Uruguay and one from Paraguay – in partnership with U.S. higher education institutions. All teams presented innovative projects for exchange and research programs focused on climate change, sustainability, and inclusion. With the support of CAF: Development Bank of Latin America, our ally, we can achieve a greener, more prosperous, and inclusive hemisphere through educational collaboration at the regional level,” commented Ambassador Bernadette M. Meehan, U.S. Ambassador to Chile.
“We are confident that the results of this competition will contribute to strengthening the environmental awareness of the new generations and encourage a change in the way we consume and relate to our environment. You can count on CAF to continue promoting educational and training initiatives throughout the continent, especially those aimed at the preservation and care of our ‘Shared Home’,” stated Christian Asinelli, Corporate Vice President of Strategic Programming, CAF: Development Bank of Latin America & the Caribbean.
“We at Partners of the Americas understand the power of partnerships. We’re in this together, building a future that’s not just sustainable, but also fair and prosperous for everyone. So here’s to hoping this collaboration between U.S. and Southern Cone higher education is just the start of many more awesome, innovative projects.”, remarked John McPhail, President & CEO, Partners of the Americas.
Profiles of the new 100K Strong exchange programs between United States and Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay:
United States – Argentina
The University of Texas at Tyler, Texas, United States
Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Neuquén, Argentina
“The Collaborative to Develop Climate Education Capacity”
This project between the University of Texas at Tyler and Comahue National University leverages existing collaborations in climate education using NASA’s International GLOBE Program to develop Climate Action Projects (CAPs) to better understand climate science. Professors and undergraduate and graduate students who participate in the face-to-face exchange program will be visiting Argentina and the United States to develop a CAP using a learning model based on open science projects. Students will disseminate their results at the Virtual International Science Symposium, the GLOBE Research and Education Repository, and online and in-person conferences and seminars.
United States – Chile
Georgian Court University, New Jersey, United States
Universidad Viña del Mar, Viña del Mar, Chile
“UniDos: Climate Education Initiative”
UniDos: Climate Education Initiative is a collaboration between Georgian Court University and Universidad Viña del Mar that connects climate education locally and globally. The program will begin with a virtual exchange course focused on the public health effects of sea and beach pollution, air pollution, and wildfires – problems shared between the two communities. Four-day climate camps will occur in New Jersey, U.S. and the Valparaiso Region, Chile, followed by a mutual exchange of students and coordinators. This exchange program will give access to students with fewer opportunities to leave their country and will set a precedent for future exchanges between the two institutions.
University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Louisiana, United States
Universidad de Magallanes, Punta Arenas, Chile
“Collaborative Research and Knowledge Exchange in Sustainable Energy (CRKESE)”
CRKESE is an international mobility and virtual exchange program conducted by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and Universidad de Magallanes. It focuses on interdisciplinary collaboration in sustainable energy, with an emphasis on photovoltaic farms and green hydrogen. The project promotes diversity by offering study abroad opportunities to underrepresented students. CRKESE fosters joint research projects, experiential learning, and hands-on experiences, preparing students to be future leaders in renewable energy and raise awareness in their communities.
University of Missouri, Kansas City, Missouri, United States
Universidad Católica de Temuco, Temuco, Chile
“Universities for Net-Zero International Teaching Exchange (UNITE): Transhemispheric Research and Capacity Building Between Chile and the United States”
UNITE aims to improve understanding of climate change resilience through two courses co-taught by teams from the U.S. and Chile that will focus on developing the linguistic, intercultural, and technical skills needed for a sustainable transition to a climate-resilient future. The Climate Action Project (CAP) will engage students and faculty from both universities in collaborative efforts to identify and implement campus-driven projects to reduce their carbon footprints, and seeks to establish a joint research program and knowledge exchange platform. UNITE exemplifies an innovative approach to addressing climate change through educational partnerships and action-oriented projects that serve as the foundation for future collaborations.
United States – Paraguay
Morgan State University, Maryland, United States
Universidad Privada del Este, Ciudad del Este, Paraguay
“STEAM Clima, Paraguay: An Interdisciplinary Climate-Action experience in Community Health and Sustainable Development for Social Entrepreneurship in the U.S. and Paraguay”
This program will involve a three-credit course taught at Morgan State University and Universidad Privada del Este, an 8-to-10-day trip to the partner country, and an international Collaborative Online Learning (COIL) virtual exchange component completed before and after travel. Students will participate in health-related climate action and service projects with their partners in each country, and develop new skills in leadership, critical thinking, problem-solving, and learn how to propose and execute climate change projects. Working closely with students from another country will help students support their real-life teamwork and assessment skills, while promoting multicultural and second-language awareness.
United States – Uruguay
Technological University of Uruguay, Montevideo, Uruguay
University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, United States
“UTEC-UTK Collaboration for Sustainable Energy Ecosystems in Southern Cone”
The overall goal of this project is to accelerate workforce development, knowledge sharing, and climate action through international collaboration. Each institution will create faculty-led study abroad courses focused on regional energy ecosystems and policies, an international Collaborative Online Learning (COIL) Exchanges, and an international student-led network for climate action initiatives. UTEC will then organize a thematic workshop on Electric Mobility for the Net Zero Transition and Equity and that will address various topics, including new educational models to train a future workforce capable of implementing energy-smart and climate-smart nexus solutions, policy brief development and public engagement in energy-related issues, and how to broaden stakeholder engagement, accelerate inter-regional partnerships, and prepare proposals.
Overview of the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Initiative
Since its inception in 2013, of December 2023, the 100,000 Strong Initiative has awarded 321 grants ($25,000-$50,000 each) to 585 higher education institutions (HEIs) working throughout 26 countries and 49 U.S. states, and engaging over 10,000 students and faculty – and counting. Currently, over 4,500 members have joined the 100K Network, including faculty and administrators from more than 2,300 U.S. universities and colleges.
The 100,000 Strong in the Americas (100K Strong) Initiative harnesses the power of education to expand opportunity, economic prosperity, and workforce development. The 100K Strong Initiative catalyzes inter-regional collaboration between the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Embassies, and Partners of the Americas, working with leaders in public, private, and academic sectors to expand innovative, sustainable education cooperation and increase access to inclusive educational exchange and training programs for students and faculty throughout the Americas.
Learn more and Join: www.100kstrongamericas.org
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The mission of Partners of the Americas is to connect people and organizations across and within borders to serve and change lives through lasting partnerships. These partnerships create opportunity, foster understanding, and solve real-life problems. Inspired by President Kennedy and founded in 1964, under the Alliance for Progress, Partners is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with international offices in Washington, D.C. Learn more at www.partners.net or via Twitter @partnersamerica.
The mission of CAF, Development Bank of Latin America, is to promote sustainable development and regional integration by means of financing projects in the public and private sectors, providing technical cooperation, and other specialized services. Created in 1970, it is made up of 20 countries, 18 Latin American and Caribbean, together with Spain and Portugal, and 13 private banks, it is one of the main sources of multilateral financing and an important generator of knowledge for the region. For more information, visit www.caf.com.
Press Contact: marrazola@partners.net