100,000 Strong in the Americas Announces Higher Education Partnerships and Innovative Programs

Partners of the Americas and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs announced 24 new grant-winning teams between higher education institutions in the U.S. and Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia. The new 100K Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund call boasts the generous support of Colombia’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MinCiencias) and CAF—development bank of Latin America—, in partnership with the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the U.S. Department of State .

The new 100K Strong partnerships are set to support innovative, inclusive training and exchange programs for students and faculty in strategic areas, including climate solutions, sustainable energy, digital transformation, health, creative industries and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math), among others. The 100K Strong grant winning teams come from 31 higher education institutions in the region, specifically Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia, in partnership with a diverse group of 23 colleges and universities in 17 states in the U.S. to implement new exchange and training programs for upwards of 100 students and faculty during 2023–2024.

Sergio Cristancho Marulanda, Vice Minister of Knowledge, Innovation and Productivity at MinCiencias, noted: “In the framework of this partnership between the Department of State of the United States, Partners of the Americas, the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) and the Ministry of CTeI, our ministry is proud to present these results of the Andean-United States Grant Competition of the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund.  With this call, the Colombian government—through the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation—works to enhance and foster cooperation in science and technology with the United States, in an effort to create better opportunities for the promotion of scientific vocations and cooperation between the research groups of both countries.”

According to CAF Executive President Sergio Díaz-Granados, “the results of this call show the value of cooperation between Latin America and the United States, as it facilitates access of new generations to educational opportunities that help them address the major economic and social challenges of the region with an inclusive and sustainable perspective. CAF will continue to support efforts to improve higher education throughout our continent.”

Ryan Rowlands, Director of the Public Diplomacy Office at the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs of the U.S. Department of State said: “The 100K Strong in the Americas regional initiative harnesses the power of education to provide opportunity, transform communities and stimulate prosperity. Working with dedicated teams at U.S. embassies and Partners of the Americas, together with leaders from the private and public sectors and academia, we expand resilient inter-regional partnerships and innovative exchanges between the United States and Latin America that underpin a greener, more inclusive, and more democratic hemisphere.”

In this new call—a record-high for the 100K Strong Innovation Fund—Colombia has become the leading country in this flagship hemispheric initiative to forge partnerships with U.S. colleges and universities and implement new models for inclusive exchange and training programs in an assortment of subject areas.  To date, the 100K Strong Innovation Fund has awarded 79 grants to U.S.-Colombian teams, with the participation of 156 colleges and universities from 31 U.S. states and 17 Colombian departments, which bears testimony to the strong bilateral cooperation on education between the two countries.

The 100K Strong Innovation Fund is the public-private sector collaboration between the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, U.S. embassies and Partners of the Americas, in partnership with the region’s private and public sectors and academia in an effort to harness the power of education, expanding inclusive exchange programs between the U.S. and Latin America and the Caribbean.

Profiles of the new projects of the 100K Strong Innovation Fund between

the United States and Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia:

US-Colombia grant-winning teams

Fostering Urban Health Equity and Resilience through Transnational Education (FUERTE)

This partnership between Drexel University and Universidad de Los Andes seeks to address global issues in urban health and health equity, by building intercultural and technical skills of the next generation of public healthcare researchers and practitioners. The two universities will collaborate to increase opportunities for student exchange and participation in global practicums that will allow them to work on important issues on urban health, health equity and resilience.

• Drexel University, Pennsylvania, United States
• Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia

School of Literacy and Interculturality for Maternal and Perinatal Care in Native Communities

This collaborative project between four universities will devise a pedagogical strategy in recognizing the importance of ancient knowledge of native communities in caring for women during gestation and childbirth. Through this project, students, professors, native communities, and healthcare and education professionals will contribute to equity of human development and improve the quality of the life and healthcare accessible to women worldwide.

• Fundación Universitaria Juan N. Corpas, Bogotá, Colombia
• Universidad Ana G. Méndez, Puerto Rico, United States
• Universidad Simón Bolívar, Atlántico, Colombia
• Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios, Bogotá, Colombia

SoPEF 4 Life: Soil, People, Environment and Food for Life

This project will develop solutions to address climate change and soil degradation in rural areas in Colombia by allowing undergraduates from Lewis University (LU) and graduate students from the University of Delaware (UD) to travel to Colombia’s Universidad de La Salle (UdLS), where they will learn about the detrimental effects of climate change and soil degradation in rural areas and on family farmers.

• Lewis University, Illinois, United States
• Universidad de La Salle, Bogotá, Colombia
• University of Delaware, Delaware, United States

Humanitarian Logistics Action Lab (HumLOG-Action Lab)

This program seeks to develop a new student exchange model between the U.S. and Colombia, building students’ skills in resilience and adaptation to natural hazards, climate change, and migration crises from engineering, humanitarian logistics, and organizational management perspectives. Students will participate in an Online Collaborative International Learning (COIL) course with the purpose of developing an innovative research project, aimed at solving a humanitarian logistics challenge.

• Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma, United States
• Universidad de La Sabana, Cundinamarca, Colombia
• Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar, Bolívar, Colombia

Rice-Javeriana Research Exchange Program for the Fourth Industrial Revolution

The Rice-Javeriana research exchange program for the Fourth Industrial Revolution is a new partnership between Rice University and Universidad Javeriana with three main goals, namely, establish a long-term binational scientific collaboration through academic and research partnerships focused on converging technologies and Industry 4.0; develop inclusive, effective and practical knowledge transfer initiatives between both countries; and increase the number of students devoted to building crucial skills in the fields of converging technologies and Industry 4.0, through access to international experiences.

• Rice University, Texas, United States
• Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia

Research on the Impact of Anthropic Activity on a Texas Urban Ecosystem and  on an Andean Protected Forest and Paramo Ecosystem 

Texas A&M University–Texarkana and Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia will provide a service-based research and learning program to improve students’ knowledge in the assessment and restoration of local ecosystems. Students will identify restoration strategies for the city of Texarkana’s Days Creek water system, which has been impacted by urbanization and the release of hazardous substances, and for El Malmo, a protected Andean forest and páramo ecosystem affected by agriculture, livestock and human movement in the region.

• University of Texas A&M–Texarkana, Texas, United States
• Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia, Boyacá, Colombia

International Exchange and Training in Human Rights Policies

This program will create a long-lasting impact by providing the opportunity for Colombian students to gain exposure to U.S. human rights policy and introducing U.S. students to the multifaceted human rights situation in Colombia. With this project, students will understand the policies of countries that receive refugees and asylum seekers, and the countries that experience significant human rights violations.

• University of Texas at Dallas, Texas, United States
• Universidad EAFIT, Antioquia, Colombia

Expanding Groundwater Exploration Capacities in the Upper Chinchina River Basin through U.S.-Colombia Environmental and Sustainability Studies

This collaboration project pursues student understanding of water formation in springs and páramos to build groundwater exploration capacity via disciplinary, cultural, and linguistic collaborative courses and fieldwork activities. Students will explore: 1) education to develop groundwater resource assessing and evaluating skills in complex areas; 2) intercultural environmental education using a foreign language; and 3) fieldwork and experimental skills that allow for hydrogeological characterization of Bemidji springs in the U.S. and the páramos of the Chinchiná River in Colombia.

• Universidad Católica de Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
• Bemidji State University, Minnesota, United States

P.I.E.N.S.A., Partner Institutions Exchange, Neurosciences, STEM and Development; a multicultural and academic exchange between the University of Florida and Universidad CES

The P.I.E.N.S.A. program will create a diverse, sustainable, and long-term collaborative network between the University of Florida and Universidad CES to improve students’ professional competency and cultural awareness. It aims to improve access to specialized training in neuroscience through mentorship by highly ranked scientists while creating an environment for bilateral knowledge and cultural exchange.

• Universidad CES, Antioquia, Colombia
• University of Florida, Florida, United States

Promoting STEM education between undergraduate students in Colombia and the U.S. through the design of low-cost water sensors to monitor water pollution (“Water Collaboration between the U.S. and Colombia”)

This project will promote STEM education for students in Colombia and the U.S. by creating an open and inclusive curriculum on water quality monitoring, the use of the Arduino platform as a learning tool, and providing feasible low-cost solutions to communities affected by, or at risk of, water contamination. This project will broaden students’ knowledge and technical skills in water monitoring, data science, and analysis.

• Universidad EIA, Antioquia, Colombia
• Georgia Southern University, Georgia, United States
• Universidad Tecnológica del Chocó, Chocó, Colombia

Advancing Biomass Transformation through Multidisciplinary Exchange (ABTME)

The Advancing Biomass Transformation through Multidisciplinary Exchange (ABTME) project between Universidad ICESI and Washington State University focuses on sustainable energy, providing international internship opportunities for students. This project will contribute to the development of long-lasting sustainable energy in both countries, by working to convert biomass into carbon offset products and fuels.

• Universidad Icesi, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
• Washington State University, Washington, United States

RobotArts Initiative

The RobotArts Initiative seeks to bridge educational gaps and promote international hybrid STEAM education surrounding robotics, the arts, and their potential social impact. Researchers and practitioners from two Colombian universities and one in the U.S. will coordinate this cross-cultural, multi-institutional initiative by providing their technical, cultural, and artistic experience.

• Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia, Boyacá, Colombia
• Universidad del Valle, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
• Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia, United States

Improving Nanotechnology Capabilities in Developing Countries, Mathematical Approximations in Spectroscopic Techniques and Valorization of Agro-Industrial By-Products

This project aims to promote eco-friendly valorization of Colombian agro-industrial by-products through nanotechnology and reduce the educational gap in disadvantaged communities. Participants will synthesize SiO2 nanoparticles through green methods, subsequently characterizing the emulsions by developing an algorithm based on simple spectroscopic techniques. This will broaden the accessibility of valorization and of the developing algorithm without the need for specialized equipment.

• Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Antioquia, Colombia
• University of Texas at San Antonio, Texas, United States

Building a Framework for Sustainable Student and Faculty Engagement and Exchanges between University of Florida and Universidad de Antioquia

The University of Florida and Universidad de Antioquia are collaborating on this project to create integrated student research experiences on the effects of climate change on food, agriculture, and natural resources. The program will focus on local food systems, agriculture production, and farming communities, as well as highlighting the range of professional and career paths that food and agricultural sciences can offer.

• University of Florida, Florida, United States
• Universidad de Antioquia, Antioquia, Colombia 

Pharmacy Collaboration to Address Healthcare Inequity

This project between University of Southern California and Universidad del Atlantico combines high-impact elements of academic exchange with student research that will focus on how healthcare inequity can be addressed through the efforts of pharmacy professionals. Embedding global perspectives into pharmacy education will allow professionals to better serve disadvantaged populations affected by lack of access to high-quality healthcare.

• University of Southern California, California, United States
• Universidad del Atlántico, Atlántico, Colombia 
  
  

United States – Peru Grant Winning Teams

Alimentaré – Alimentary: Bilateral International Exchange to Pinpoint Key Elements of Sustainable Food Systems

Through this program, students at Instituto de Educación Superior Huando (IES Huando), Instituto de Educación Superior Tecnológico Público “Chincha” (IESTP Chincha) and the College of Southern Nevada (CSN) will practice workforce skills in agriculture, STEM-based food management, nutrition and sustainable resource management. The program will heighten global awareness of Peruvian solutions to agricultural management and will address America’s needs to better understand the origins and management of sustainable food systems.

• College of Southern Nevada, Idaho, United States
• Instituto de Educación Superior Huando, Lima, Perú
• Instituto de Educación Superior Tecnológico Público “Chincha,” Ica, Perú 

Increasing the Partnership, Technical Training, and Exchange of Students between UPC-PERU, Lima, PE, and SDSMT, Rapid City, USA

This program seeks to increase student and faculty mobility between the U.S. and Peru, as well as to hone the technical and soft skills of students by implementing a sanitation project to improve the quality of life for families who lack water services in the Lima district of Villa María del Triunfo. This includes the implementation of a fog catcher system that captures water from mist to be used for domestic purposes, irrigation of orchards, and the implementation of a waste-water treatment system to re-use water for irrigation.

• South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, United States
• Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, Lima, Peru 

Knowledge and Cultural Exchange Through the Built Environment: Inti Wasi Sustainable and Affordable Cold Climate Housing

This program will facilitate student exchange between the U.S. and Peru in order to plan, design and implement a solution to the shortage of affordable housing in the Andes. Beyond providing an opportunity for students to experience different places and cultures, it also engages students in finding solutions to real-world problems through travel study and service learning.

• University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma, United States
• Universidad Nacional del Altiplano, Puno, Peru 

United States – Bolivia Grant Winning Teams

Closing the Gender Gap in the Americas: New Methodologies and Curricula for Action Research and Social Change

This program calls for sustainable collaboration between three universities in the U.S., Peru and Bolivia, in which students will learn about curriculum design and innovative teaching methodologies for infusing global issues into college curricula using the United National Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) as reference, focusing on UNSDG #5, that strives to achieve gender equality and empower women and girls.

• Boise State University, Idaho, United States
• Universidad Científica del Sur, Lima, Peru
• Universidad Tecnológica Privada de Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, Bolivia

Environmental Sustainability Awareness and Civic Engagement Study Abroad Program

This program intends to provide a diverse and inclusive STEM bi-directional exchange experience between Miami, Florida and La Paz, Bolivia, for students pursuing degrees in Environment Sustainability, Energy Transition, or the Green Economy. The program will equip students with multicultural communication and technical skills to allow them to excel in their respective fields, while inspiring them to solve real-world problems and become agents of social change.

• Miami-Dade College, Florida, United States
• Universidad Privada Boliviana, La Paz, Bolivia

Transdisciplinary Participatory Research Exchange Program in the Bolivian Amazon

The Transdisciplinary Participatory Research Exchange Program in the Bolivian Amazon program led by University of Florida and Universidad Amazónica de Pando is set to solve environmental challenges using innovative, multidisciplinary, and transdisciplinary methods by engaging a new generation of scientists across disciplines and cultures. UF graduate students will work with UF and UAP faculty to mentor UAP undergraduate students, and both student cohorts will participate in activities addressing the green economy, the environment, climate action, energy transition, gender, inclusion, and diversity.

• University of Florida, Florida, United States
• Universidad Amazónica de Pando, Pando, Bolivia

United States – Ecuador Grant Winning Teams

Community-Based Training in Public Health and Economic Development in Ecuador and Ohio

The principal purpose of this project is to create bidirectional and virtual public health exchange programs between students at Ohio University and Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador. The exchange will allow students to engage in learning related to chronic poverty, lack of services, high rates of disease, and challenging conditions for social and economic development in the southern Loja province of Ecuador and the Appalachian region of the United States.  

• Ohio University, Ohio, United States
• Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Pichincha, Ecuador

International Research Experience for Undergraduates (IREU) in Water–Ecosystem Interactions

This project is centered on a long-standing partnership between the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Universidad San Francisco de Quito, and builds upon ongoing collaborative efforts of both universities’ faculties. This work breaks new ground in academic exchange by capitalizing on a strategic university partnership and an ongoing research program that will focus on water-ecosystem interactions in unique environments of the Andes Mountains.

• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
• Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador

Pachamama Exchange Program: Centering Indigenous Knowledge in the Defense of Human and Nature’s Rights

This project will create a bilateral exchange program between the U.S. and Ecuador that will bring together indigenous environmental and human rights advocates, leaders, scholars, students, and allies to learn from indigenous worldviews on effective methods to combatting climate change and preserving human rights. The Sapara Nation in Ecuador will welcome participants into their community with their leaders serving as teachers, and U.S. indigenous nations, scholars, and students will establish partnerships to support U. S. exchange.

• Webster University, Missouri, United States
• Universidad Intercultural de las Nacionalidades y Pueblos Indígenas Amawtay Wasi, Pichincha, Ecuador 

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The 100,000 Strong in the Americas Investment Fund (100K Strong) is the decade-long collaboration between the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, U.S. embassies, and Partners of the Americas, working with the private sector, governments, foundations and higher education institutions to create innovative partnerships and inclusive training and exchange programs. The 100K Strong Innovation Fund creates inter-regional networks between governments, business, and academia to support this signature hemispheric-wide education initiative to build partnerships, build institutional capacities, and improve access to innovative, inclusive exchange programs for students and faculty of the Americas.

As of February 2022, after 33 competitions, the 100K Strong Innovation Fund has awarded 306 grants (USD 25,000–45,000 each) to 572 higher education institutions working in teams in 25 countries and 49 U.S. states that have engaged over 9,800 students and faculty. Currently, over 4,000 members have joined the 100K Network—including faculty and administrators from over 2,300 universities and colleges in the United States.