State Department awards IDEAS grant to develop study abroad

Article by Julie Waechter, special to Adams State

Adams State University was awarded $35,000 through the State Department’s program, Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students (IDEAS), according to Gina Mitchell, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Psychology Department. She said the IDEAS Program aims to enhance international education opportunities for American students.

The program awards grants to U.S. colleges and universities to develop and expand study abroad programs that align with U.S. foreign policy goals. In 2024, a total of $1.3 million was awarded to institutions across the country to develop international partnerships and create resources for student engagement.

Dr. Mitchell explained the IDEAS program focuses on increasing student mobility and providing international experiences that contribute to career readiness and national security.

“The idea is to connect issues from the San Luis Valley to a global community and have students explore how issues at home are connected to issues around the world. Students will reflect on the culture of the SLV and its connections abroad by exploring communities and examining public problems. This will foster skills to help them improve the lives of people in their communities,” she said.

The grant is designed to build the university’s capacity for study abroad programs, Dr. Mitchell added. She and Meliza Ramirez, Ph.D., assistant professor of Spanish, will attend a conference on study abroad, while Jessica Brown, Ph.D., assistant professor of English, is earning a certificate in education abroad.

The group is developing the first two study abroad courses, to be offered through the School of Social Sciences and Humanities. Dr. Ramírez will head the first study abroad trip this coming fall, and Dr. Brown will take the second class of students abroad in spring, 2027.

“Both courses will align with US foreign policy on freedom and democracy and focus on increasing cultural and civic engagement in the students,” Dr. Mitchell noted. “We are aiming to recruit ten students per class.”