September 25, 2024 (Ottawa) – Partners of the Americas, in collaboration with the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. embassies in Ottawa and Mexico announce eight, new 100,000 Strong in the Americas North America grant-winning teams of higher education institutions in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This first 100K Strong North America competition is generously supported by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and Amazon, with the U.S. Department of State, to expand innovative, inclusive higher education cooperation and climate-action student and faculty exchanges between all three countries. This first-ever 100K Strong North America collaboration builds on regional alliances between public, private, and academic sectors and ensures a greener, more inclusive, democratic and prosperous Hemisphere.
“Trilateral and bilateral education cooperation supports our countries’ best, ground-breaking research, workforce development, and economic prosperity,” U.S. Ambassador to Canada David L. Cohen said, “I believe that the value of international exchanges such as those funded by these 100,000 Strong grants cannot be overstated: regional educational exchanges broaden horizons, provide workforce skills, and build sustainable partnerships in our Hemisphere.”
“The 100K North America initiative underscores the importance of trilateral cooperation between Canada, the U.S., and Mexico in addressing global challenges. By supporting underrepresented students and faculty, we foster a diverse academic environment essential for innovative solutions to global challenges. We are proud to partner on this initiative and to see institutions from all three countries, including Canadian institutions from across the country, among the winners. We eagerly anticipate the positive impact of their projects,” said Shalini Anand, Assistant Deputy Minister for the Americas at Global Affairs Canada.
“Amazon is committed to and invested in sustainability because it’s a win all around—it’s good for the planet, for business, for our customers, and for our communities. We are proud to be a founding member of the 100K CLIMA initiative to help build on these efforts and empower more individuals throughout North America with the skills needed to succeed in the green economy,” said Arrow Augerot, Director of Public Policy at Amazon.
The eight new 100K Strong North America grant winning teams will receive $25,000 USD each to carry out inclusive, climate-focused student exchanges between the United States, Canada, and Mexico. See overview for details of these eight 100K Strong North America exchange programs.
Overview of 100K Strong North America Partnerships and Exchange Programs
between the United States, Canada, and Amazon
Colorado Mountain College (United States)
Universidad de Guadalajara, CUCEA Campus (Mexico)
Permaculture Learning and Actions for Climate Education and Sustainability (PLACES)
This 100K Strong program between Colorado Mountain College (CMC) and Universidad de Guadalajara (UDG), seeks to foster intercultural and bilingual learning and collaboration through innovative climate and sustainability education and practice. Students will learn the conceptual and practical foundations of permaculture design and apply these skills through climate action projects in Colorado and Guadalajara.
Click here to learn more about the CMC-UDB project.
DePaul University (United States)
Universidad Del Valle de Atemajac (Mexico)
Promoting Bi-institutional Collaboration through Bilateral Exchange in Conservation and Restoration
This exchange program led by DePaul University (DePaul) in Chicago and Universidad del Valle de Atemajac (UNIVA) in Guadalajara, Mexico, will immerse DePaul and UNIVA students in conservation work with their partners in both countries. This 100K Strong exchange will pilot a Chicago Bilingual iNaturalist program to train students to protect and conserve delicate ecosystems of La Primavera using research methods and technologies to create inventories of species. Click here to learn more about the DePaul-UNIVA project.
Dominican University (United States)
Saint Mary’s University (Canada)
Universidad Anáhuac México (Mexico)
Developing Climate Leaders Through Collaborative Team-Based Learning
This program offers an educational opportunity tailored for undergraduate students from Dominican University, Saint Mary’s University, and Universidad Anáhuac México. It will foster a cadre of climate leaders among student communities that have historically experienced marginalization in all three countries. Students will receive mentorship and hands-on training to solve challenges posed by climate change. Click here learn more about the DOM-SMU-Anahuac project.
The Catholic University of America (United States)
Universidad Anáhuac México (Mexico)
Bridging the Gap in Sustainable Climate Resiliency: Interdisciplinary and Cultural Training for University Students in Mexico and USA
This program seeks to educate, train, and inspire the next generation of globally minded leaders to address the complexity of sustainability and climate challenges. Students from the Catholic University of America and Universidad Anáhuac México will engage in virtual activities and in-person exchange focusing on sustainable climate resiliency, local community-based urban agriculture solutions, and cultural and linguistic exchange. Click here to learn more about the CUA-Anahuac project.
Universidad de Colima (Mexico)
Kapiʻolani Community College (United States)
North Island College (Canada)
Indigenous perspectives on nurturing environmental resilience and sustainable practice: Mexico, Hawaii, and Canada
This program, led by Universidad de Colima, Kapiʻolani Community College, and North Island College will focus on the importance of indigenous perspectives on nurturing environmental resilience that can be applied in broader contexts of environmental management and sustainable development. Students and faculty from all three institutions will study and learn from indigenous cultures through a comprehensive and collaborative approach with the hope of mitigating the negative impacts of climate change and building a more sustainable and resilient future for present and future generations. Click here to learn more about the Colima-KCC-NIC project.
Universidad Panamericana, Campus Aguascalientes (Mexico)
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (United States)
Université Laval (Canada)
Sustainability in the Dairy Processing: A Tri-National Student Faculty Abroad Program
This program aims to promote sustainable development in the dairy cheese industry by enhancing supply chain efficiency focusing on the principles of bio-economy and sustainable value chains. It aims to foster economic opportunities across three countries and facilitate the inclusion of minorities and underprivileged students. Students will receive practical exposure through Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) and on-site visits to Canadian milk companies and will use this training to complete sustainable climate action projects. Click here to learn more about the UPA-CalPoly-Laval project.
Universidad Panamericana, Mexico City (Mexico)
Kent State University (United States)
University of Alberta (Canada)
Indigenous Food Systems for Climate Justice Project
The Indigenous Food Systems for Climate Justice Project will establish a tripartite partnership between Universidad Panamericana, Kent State University, and the University of Alberta. Participants will draw on lessons learned from a community partnership at Lake Xochimilco, Mexico, where an Aztec agricultural technique has been preserved. The program will also include agricultural techniques from indigenous communities in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Alberta, Canada, allowing students to make compelling comparisons between indigenous food systems. Click here to learn more about the UP-KSU-Alberta project.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (United States)
Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Occidente (Mexico)
University of Windsor (Canada)
ACCESS: Addressing the Climate Crisis Through Enhanced Stream Ecosystems Assessments
The ACCESS program, between Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Occidente (ITESO), and the University of Windsor (Windsor), will support student learning about climate change mitigation strategies from regional and national land and water managers. Students from each institution will learn about the challenges of freshwater sustainability participate in a two-week in-person program at ITESO’s Watershed and Land Management class, followed by four weeks of Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), and a one-week in-person exchange at Windsor. Click here to learn more about the VT-ITESO-UW project.
Learn More and Join: www.100kstrongamericas.org
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Overview of the Regional 100,000 Strong in the Americas Education Initiative
The 100,000 Strong in the Americas (100K Strong) Initiative catalyzes sustainable, multi-sector collaboration between the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, U.S. embassies, and Partners of the Americas working with public, private, and academic sectors to expand regional education cooperation, strengthen capacity, and increase innovative educational exchanges in the Americas. During the last ten years, as of September 2024, the 100K Strong Initiative has awarded 345 grants ($25,000-$50,000 each) to 608 higher education institutions in 26 countries and 49 U.S. states engaging over 10,000 students and faculty – and counting. Thus far, 4,500+ members have joined the regional 100K Network – an online platform engaging higher education leaders in the Americas, including a diversity of 2,300+ U.S. colleges and universities.
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.
Press Contact: marrazola@partners.net