100.000 Strong in the Americas Announces New Higher Education Partnerships and Training Programs

Partners of the Americas and the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the U.S. Department of State announce 24 new grant-winning teams between higher education institutions in the United States with Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia.  This latest 100K Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund competition is generously supported by 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 will 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 will engage 31 regional higher education institutions in Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia in partnership with a diversity 23 U.S. colleges and universities in 17 states to implement new exchange and training programs for upwards of 100 students and faculty during 2023-2024.

In his remarks, Sergio Cristancho Marulanda, Vice Minister of Knowledge, Innovation and Productivity at MinCiencias, affirmed that "In the framework of this alliance 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 is proud for our entity 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 increase and promote cooperation in science and technology with the United States, to generate increased opportunities for the promotion of scientific vocations and cooperation between the research groups of both countries.”

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

Ryan Rowlands, Director of Public Diplomacy Office in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, affirmed that “The regional 100K Strong in the Americas 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, along with leaders from private, public, and academic sectors, we expand resilient inter-regional partnerships and innovative exchanges between the United States and Latin America that support a greener, more inclusive, and democratic Hemisphere.”

As a result of this recent 100K Strong Innovation Fund competition, Colombia is now the leading country in this signature hemispheric-wide initiative to form partnerships with U.S. higher education institutions and implement new models of inclusive exchange and training programs in numerous thematic areas.  To date, the 100K Strong Innovation Fund has awarded 79 grants to US-Colombia teams, involving 156 higher education institutions in 31 U.S states and 17 Colombian departments—a testimony to the robust bilateral education cooperation between the two countries.

The 100K Strong Innovation Fund is the public-private sector 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 regional private, public, and academic sectors to harness the power of education to expand inclusive exchange programs between the U.S. and Latin America and the Caribbean.

 

Profiles of new 100K Strong Innovation Fund projects between

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

 

United States – Colombia Grant Winning Teams

Drexel University, Pennslyvania, United States 

Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia 

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

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

 

 

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 

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

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

 

 

Lewis University, Illinois, United States 

Universidad de La Salle, Bogotá, Colombia 

University of Delaware, Delaware, United States  

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

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

 

 

Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma, United States 

Universidad de La Sabana, Cundinamarca, Colombia 

Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar, Bolívar, Colombia 

Humanitarian Logistics Action Lab (HumLOG-Action Lab) 

This program aims to develop a new model of student exchange between the United States and Colombia by promoting student competencies in resilience and adaptive capacities to natural hazards, climate change, and migration crises from engineering, humanitarian logistics, and organizational management perspectives. Students will take part in a Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) course to develop an innovative research project aimed at resolving a humanitarian logistical challenge. 

 

 

Rice University, Texas, United States 

Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia 

Rice-Javeriana Research Exchange Program for the 4th Industrial Revolution 

The Rice - Javeriana Research Exchange for the 4th Industrial Revolution program is a new partnership between Rice University and Universidad Javeriana with three main objectives. These are: establish long-term, binational scientific cooperation through research and academic alliances centered on Convergent Technologies – Industry 4.0, develop inclusive, effective, and hands-on knowledge transfer initiatives between the two countries, and increase the number of students working to gain critical skills in the Convergent Tech – Industry 4.0 fields by providing access to international experiences.  

 

 

Texas A&M University–Texarkana, Texas, United States  

Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia, Boyacá, 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’s and Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia will offer a service-learning and research-based program to increase student knowledge in the assessment and restoration of local ecosystems. Students will identify restoration strategies for the City of Texarkana’s Days Creek Aquatic System, impacted by urbanization and the release of hazardous substances, and for the El Malmo, a protected Andean Forest and paramo ecosystem affected by agriculture, livestock farming, and human movement through the region.

 

University of Texas at Dallas, Texas, United States 

Universidad EAFIT, Antioquia, Colombia 

International Exchange and Training for Human Rights Policy 

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.   

 

 

Universidad Católica de Manizales, Caldas, Colombia 

Bemidji State University, Minnesota, United States 

Strengthening Capacities of Groundwater Exploration in the upper Chinchina River watershed via sustainability and environmental U.S.- Colombia studies 

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

 

 

Universidad CES, Antioquia, Colombia 

University of Florida, Florida, United States  

P.I.E.N.S.A: Partner Institutions Exchange – Neuroscience, STEM and Advancement Multicultural and Academic Exchange between University of Florida and Universidad CES 

The P.I.E.N.S.A (Partner Institutions Exchange – Neuroscience, STEM, and Advancement) program will create a long-term, sustainable, diverse, and collaborative network between University of Florida and Universidad CES to enrich students' professional competency and cultural awareness. It aims to increase access to specialized training in neuroscience through mentorship of highly ranked scientists while creating an environment for bilateral knowledge and cultural exchange.  

 

 

Universidad EIA, Antioquia, Colombia 

Georgia Southern University, Georgia, United States 

Universidad Tecnológica del Chocó, Chocó, Colombia 

Promoting STEM Education Between Undergraduate Students from Colombia and the U.S Through the Design of Low-Cost Water Sensors to Monitor Water Pollution (U.S. & Colombia Water-Collab) 

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 Arduino 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 Icesi, Valle del Cauca, Colombia 

Washington State University, Washington, United States 

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 by facilitating international internship experiences 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 Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia, Boyacá, Colombia 

Universidad del Valle, Valle del Cauca, Colombia 

Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia, United States  

RobotArts Initiative 

The RobotArts Initiative seeks to close 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 American university will coordinate this cross-cultural, multi-institutional initiative by providing their technical, cultural, and artistic experience.

 

 

Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Antioquia, Colombia 

University of Texas at San Antonio, Texas, United States 

Improving the Capabilities of Nanotechnology 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 decrease 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 valorizing and of the developing algorithm without requiring specialized equipment.

 

 

University of Florida, Florida, United States 

Universidad de Antioquia, Antioquia, Colombia 

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

This project, created through a collaboration between University of Florida and Universidad de Antioquia, will create integrated research experiences for students that concentrate 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 Southern California, California, United States 

Universidad del Atlántico, Atlántico, 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 quality healthcare. 

 

United States – Perú Grant Winning Teams

 

College of Southern Nevada, Idaho, United States 

Instituto de Educación Superior Huando, Lima, Peru 

Instituto de Educación Superior Tecnológico Público “Chincha,” Ica, Peru 

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

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

 

 

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, South Dakota, United States 

Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, Lima, Peru 

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

This program aims to increase student and faculty mobility between the U.S. and Peru, as well as to hone the technical and soft skills of students through 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 be re-used for irrigation. 

 

 

University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma, United States 

Universidad Nacional del Altiplano, Puno, Peru 

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

This program will facilitate student travel between the U.S. and Peru, to work collaboratively to plan, design, and implement a solution to the affordable housing shortage within 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.

 

United States – Bolivia Grant Winning Teams

 

Boise State University, Idaho, United States 

Universidad Científica del Sur, Lima, Perú 

Universidad Tecnológica Privada de Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, Bolivia 

Closing the Gender-Gap in the Americas: 

New Methodologies and Curriculum for Action-Research and Social Change 

This program proposes sustainable cooperation 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.

 

 

Miami Dade College, Florida, United States 

Universidad Privada Boliviana, La Paz, 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.   

  

 

University of Florida, Florida, United States 

Universidad Amazónica de Pando, Pando, 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 will 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, environment, climate action, energy transition, gender, inclusion, and diversity.  

 

United States – Ecuador Grant Winning Teams

 

Ohio University, Ohio, United States  

Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Pichincha, Ecuador  

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.       

   

 

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States 

Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador 

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

This project, centered on a long-established partnership between University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Universidad San Francisco de Quito, 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. 

 

 

Webster University, Missouri, United States 

Universidad Intercultural de las Nacionalidades y Pueblos Indígenas Amawtay Wasi, 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 defenders, 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. 

 

***

 

100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation 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, strengthen institutional capacity, and increase 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 ($25,000-$45,000 each) to 572 higher education institutions working in teams in 25 countries and 49 U.S. States that have engaged upwards of 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.

 

JOIN the 100K Network and Learn more:  www.100kstrongamericas.org 

Follow:  #100KStrongAmericas

 

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.

Colombia’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Minciencias) manages the public administration of policy related to the sector and leads the National Science, Technology and Innovation System (SNCTI, for its acronym in Spanish). It is in charge of devising, guiding, directing, coordinating, executing, implementing and monitoring the State's policy on this matter, in accordance with development plans and programs. As a public agency, it seeks to coordinate the different actors in the system through knowledge generation and transfer, innovation, social appropriation, and the vocational education of children and young people, together with top-level training in science, technology and innovation. It also works to reinforce partnerships between international strategic players to achieve its mission objectives and disseminate knowledge on the global stage. For more information, visit minciencias.gov.co/.