Creating Global Citizens, Now

Feb. 3, 2011 - PRLog -- Fayetteville, NC - In an effort to ramp up Historically Black Colleges and University (HBCU) study abroad student participation, Fayetteville State University, and other members of the new North Carolina Study Abroad/Global Engagement (NC SAGE) Consortium, are working hard to promote the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship Program to their students interested in education abroad.

“This is another example of the good news about HBCUs,” said Steven W. Jones president/CEO of IERC Education Foundation, developer of the NC SAGE Consortium model. “There is demand for study abroad and serious interest in advancing campus internationalization, now rather than later… we have been working to get to this point for almost two years,” he added.

Samuel A. Brooks, IERCEF’s executive vice-president echoed the newly designated 501(c)(3)’s mission. “It’s all about preparing MSI (minority-serving institution) students for a new global, flatter, society.” IERCEF claims the secret in “raising the bars” on student of color participation in study abroad is about recognizing the economic seascape they will be sailing into. Given the Graduate Employment Gap (www.epi.org) where, e.g. recent African Americans graduates face double the rate of unemployment than their white counterparts, 15.4 and 7.9 respectively, they naturally gravitate to educational experiences that increase their employability. IERCEF offers this summer a 10-week, three credit, international internship via its strategic partner, InteRDom (www.interdominterships.org).

The Consortium is working diligently to submit 250 Gilman applications by March 1. That works out to about 24 per Consortium member. When asked, "Why 250?" Mr. Jones replied, “We needed to send a message to others and within the Consortium that HBCUs and their students realize the value of internationalization and the challenges and opportunities a global world presents…also this year Gilman Scholarships are very competitive."

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IERC Education Foundation is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization that promotes study abroad through advocacy for the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act. IERCEF also develops study abroad programs via direct design or strategic partnerships with a specific focus on students of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Community Colleges and Public High Schools for the purposes of increasing: the proportion and demographic mix of U.S. students (and their institutions)who study abroad; increasing the talent pool of students with international competencies and knowledge of global issues, therefore IERCEF also advocates for Critical Need Language acquisition. IERC Education Foundation is committed to enhancing the degree attainment, employability and global competitiveness of America’s underserved graduates.