Study abroad programs can be a pathway to transformative learning experiences—the chance to explore a new culture. Learn a different language. Gain valuable, lifelong skill sets that can only be found outside a traditional classroom setting.
More than a unique, life-altering experience, studying abroad changes how students view the world—and themselves.
But for many students, especially first-generation students from underserved backgrounds or low-income, studying abroad can be a financial challenge—and one that prevents them from even considering international travel as an extension of their academic journey.
The Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (OVPDEI) and the Overseas Studies & Scholarship Program (OSSP) are committed to breaking down these barriers. One way they accomplish this goal is a partnership with the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) and its Passport Caravan program.
The Beginning
OSSP was introduced to the Passport Caravan Program during a CIEE conference in 2014, making Indiana University one of 118 educational institutions to partner with CIEE for the initiative.
“IU strongly supports the concept of study abroad programs to learn about the world and oneself, says James C. Wimbush, vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion and Johnson Chair for Diversity and Leadership.
“This program has afforded hundreds of first-generation, low-income and underserved students the chance to immerse themselves in a new country, experience different cultures and learn about the world around them. It’s a perspective that is altogether different and more profound than what is contained in a textbook,” Wimbush explains.
Part of the IIE Generation Study Abroad Initiative, the Passport Caravan first emerged as a way to create opportunities for all students to embark on educational journeys abroad. The passport, often the first step toward study-abroad opportunities, plays a pivotal role in making these dreams a reality.
Since then, CIEE has committed itself to sponsoring 10,000 passports for students nationwide over five years. The cost of a passport is $165.
Over several weeks, associates with the OSSP work with students on their documents and help them navigate the application process. On the day of the actual Passport Caravan event, students bring their documents to a designated location on campus where passport agents finish their applications. In contrast, students learn more about the study abroad programs offered through IU and CIEE.
The OSSP has completed its fifth year of partnering with CIEE for the Passport Caravan Program. Several milestones have been achieved throughout the relationship, beginning in 2016 with the country's largest CIEE passport giveaway event.
To date, 887 passports have been given to IU Bloomington students connected to one of OVPDEI’s academic scholar programs, including 21st Century Scholars, Groups Scholars and Hudson and Holland Scholars. The monetary value of the passports given away is $130,865. Of the students who receive their passports, 30 percent will go on to study abroad through IU. And some will participate in more than one study abroad program.
“A passport is the first barrier that might prevent someone from going abroad because of the passport costs. Once that is taken care of, students can start looking for opportunities that will take them abroad,” notes Ochmaa Escue, director of the Overseas Studies & Scholarship Program, on the value of the Passport Caravan Program and its impact.
For students, the effort translates into one word: life-changing.
Says Aiden Murphy, a 21st Century Scholar from Indianapolis who received his passport from the program in 2023 after applying to OVPDEI’s custom study abroad program to Ghana.
“I was thrilled to be accepted. The experience enabled me to learn about Ghanaian history, the impact of the transatlantic slave trade, Ghanaian cultural values and norms, contemporary social challenges, current economic, education, and healthcare systems and the globalization and urbanization of the country. It was a life-changing experience, one that I will never, ever forget.”
Ginysha Lewis, a sophomore and a 21st Century Scholar and Hudson and Holland Scholar, echoes those sentiments. Until now, Lewis has never traveled outside the state of Indiana. Her future will now include traveling to Switzerland, Italy and other international locations.
“If the opportunity to get my passport had not been presented, I might have never pursued traveling abroad. Now, I am looking forward to learning and growing,” she says.