American Association of Colleges & Universities Receives Grant to Connect Young People Through Virtual Exchange

A grant from the J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative will enable AAC&U’s Institute for Virtual Exchange and COIL Centers of Excellence to give young people global collaboration and learning opportunities—without them having to leave their home communities.

Washington, DC –– The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) announced today that it has been selected by the Stevens Initiative as one of nine schools, higher education institutions, and nonprofit organizations to receive funding to run virtual exchange programs that connect young people in the United States, the Middle East, and North Africa. AAC&U’s Institute for Virtual Exchange and COIL Centers of Excellence will help reach 8,000 young people along with the new J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative Grantees, supported by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

"I’m proud to celebrate the addition of nine new grantees to our 2024 J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative portfolio today. Over the last year, we have taken great strides to expand cross-cultural learning opportunities and prepare rising generations of global leaders,” said Christine Shiau, Executive Director of the Stevens Initiative. “Everything we do is centered around making meaningful international experiences accessible to young people, and that would be impossible without the partnership of these incredible organizations and educational institutions.

Through virtual exchange, participants build a better understanding of the world around them and develop critical thinking and cultural fluency skills needed to be successful in an ever-changing world. It is a powerful tool to reimagine what global learning looks like, how it can be conducted, and how many people participate.

AAC&U’s Institute for Virtual Exchange and COIL Centers of Excellence elevates innovative global education, infusing virtual exchange in higher education institutions throughout the Middle East and North Africa and the United States. The program fosters partnerships among institutions, specifically using the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) model of virtual exchange to enhance curricula. Through action plans, mentorship, and evaluation, the program ensures advancements in teaching and learning, positioning institutions as centers of excellence and preparing students as effective leaders.

“The new institute is dedicated to fostering sustainable partnerships that extend beyond traditional academic boundaries,” said Veronica Onorevole, Director of Innovative Global Education Initiatives at AAC&U. “By engaging a diverse range of institutional stakeholders—including faculty, administrators, policymakers, and community leaders—we aim to facilitate broad participation and shared investment in the program’s success. This approach ensures that digital global learning opportunities remain accessible and integrated across all levels of education.”

AAC&U’s Institute for Virtual Exchange and COIL Centers of Excellence is implemented by the American Association of Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) and is supported by the J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative (JCSVEI). JCSVEI is a U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs program administered by the Aspen Institute.

More Information

The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) is a global membership organization dedicated to advancing the democratic purposes of higher education by promoting equity, innovation, and excellence in liberal education. Through our programs and events, publications and research, public advocacy and campus-based projects, AAC&U serves as a catalyst and facilitator for innovations that improve educational quality and equity and that support the success of all students. In addition to accredited public and private, two-year and four-year colleges and universities and state higher education systems and agencies throughout the United States, our membership includes degree-granting higher education institutions in more than twenty-five countries as well as other organizations and individuals. To learn more, visit www.aacu.org.

The Stevens Initiative, a program of the Aspen Institute, is an international leader in virtual exchange, which brings young people from different places together for dialogue and discovery through everyday technology. Created in 2015 as a lasting tribute to Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, the Initiative is building a better tomorrow by preparing rising generations of leaders and advancing the field of virtual exchange. Learn more:  www.stevensinitiative.org.

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) builds relations between the people of the United States and the people of other countries through academic, cultural, sports, professional and private exchanges, as well as public-private partnerships and mentoring programs. These exchange programs improve foreign relations and strengthen the national security of the United States, support U.S. international leadership, and provide a broad range of domestic benefits by helping break down barriers that often divide us. Visit eca.state.gov.

The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization committed to realizing a free, just, and equitable society. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the most important challenges facing the United States and the world.  Headquartered in Washington, DC, the Institute has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.