November 16, 2023: Partners of the Americas, along with the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Mexico, announce the new 100,000 Strong in the Americas (100K Strong) North America grant competition to expand innovative, inclusive climate-action exchange programs between higher education institutions (HEIs) in United States, Canada and Mexico. This 100K Strong North America grant competition is generously supported by Amazon and Global Affairs Canada, in collaboration with the U.S Department of State, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.
This 100K Strong North America grant competition will expand trilateral education cooperation and increase access to inclusive student and faculty exchange and training programs focused on climate action, green technology, clean energy, and related areas.
This 100K Strong North America grant competition helps to ensure a greener, more inclusive, prosperous Hemisphere via innovative regional education cooperation. 100K Strong partnerships and exchange programs underscore shared priorities and values and furthers Inter-American cooperation.
“This is the first trilateral grant competition for the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund in its ten-year history, thanks to the collaboration between the U.S. Government, the Government of Canada, and Amazon. This underscores what we can achieve when we work together, even more so, when we partner with the private sector to support the talent, innovation, and leadership of our students through educational exchanges, so that they achieve their dreams and build their future and that of North America.”, remarked Mark Johnson, the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico.
“ Canada is pleased to be a partner on this initiative with two of Canada’s most important allies, the US, and Mexico. The 100K Strong North America Grant provides a platform and resources for underrepresented students and faculty to implement inclusive climate action projects. This project will advance workforce development through cross-border exchanges and forge new paths for collaboration, innovation, and sustainability in making our economies more competitive,” commented Shauna Hemingway, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Canada in Mexico.
“The 100K Strong grant competition launched today aims to expand trilateral education cooperation between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico and will focus on North America’s unique challenges and opportunities in climate adaptation and mitigation. Through cross-border collaboration, U.S., Canadian, and Mexican higher education institutions, along with the public and private sectors, can advance climate action, spur innovation, and share effective models. The challenges are many, but we are convinced that the best solutions will be achieved by working together, through public-private-academic collaboration efforts, such as the one we celebrate today between the U.S. Department of State, the Government of Canada, and Amazon,” expressed John McPhail, the President & CEO of Partners of the Americas.
This 100K Strong North America competition will provide approximately 9 grants at $25,000 each to support the creation and implementation of innovative, inclusive student and faculty exchanges as well as climate-action training programs between the United States, Canada, and Mexico, during 2024-2025. Teams of higher education institutions between the U.S., Canada and Mexico are invited to form partnerships and submit 100K Strong grant proposals by February 29, 2024.
For more details, including the full list of thematic areas, please see the Request for Proposals (RFP) at www.100kstrongamericas.org/grants.
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The 100,000 Strong in the Americas (100K) Innovation Fund is the inter-regional public-private sector collaboration between the WHA Burean at the U.S. Department of State, U.S. embassies, and Partners of the Americas working with private, public, and academic sectors to expand innovative, inclusive higher education partnerships and students and faculty exchanges between the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
In ten years (2013-2023), after 34 sets of competitions, the 100K Strong Innovation Fund has awarded grants ($25,000-$50,000 each) to 578 HEIs in 25 countries and 49 U.S. states that have engaged over 8,000 students and faculty (and counting) and ensuring HEIs’ capacity to sustain inclusive education exchanges.
Over 4,000 members have joined the 100K Network, including HEIs, professors, administrators, and U.S. embassies. The 100K Network, a virtual platform for higher education collaboration, includes 2,300 higher education institutions in the United States and rest of the Western Hemisphere.
To Join the 100K Network: 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.
The Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs (WHA) at the U.S. Department of State (WHA/DOS) supports and oversees the 100,000 Strong in the Americas (100K) Initiative with Partners of the Americas and U.S. Embassies, in collaboration with regional public, private, and academic sectors. Since the inception of 100K Strong Innovation Fund in 2013, the contributions from the U.S. Department of State to this signature hemispheric-wide education initiative have leveraged robust, resilient public-private sector cooperation with regional companies, foundations, and governments, and higher education networks throughout the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean. 100K-Strong branded partnerships and programs align with the Department of State’s priorities to ensure a greener, more inclusive, economically prosperous, and democratic, and secure hemisphere.
Global Affairs Canada (GAC) manages Canada’s diplomatic and consular relations, promotes Canadian international trade, and leads Canada’s international development and humanitarian assistance. It is also one of the federal departments responsible for the Government of Canada’s International Education Strategy. International education makes a key contribution to Canada’s economic and innovation capacity, and contributes to strengthening bilateral and people to people ties. GAC works with a range of partners, including Canada’s provincial and territorial governments, institutions and education stakeholders, to promote Canada as a top destination for learning, and to support Canadian schools, students and researchers in continuing to expand their connections abroad. For more information about Global Affairs Canada, visit https://www.international.gc.ca/global-affairs-affaires-mondiales/home-accueil.aspx?lang=eng.
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, Earth’s best employer, and Earth’s safest place to work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon. For more information about Amazon, visit https://www.aboutamazon.com/about-us.
Press Contact: Melisa Arrázola