As a part of U.S. Department of State and its Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students (IDEAS) Program funding, CGTC and its Office of Global Initiatives are gearing up for a new celebration of International Education Week like the College has never seen.  

International Education Week (IEW), celebrated November 18-22 this year is an annual opportunity for U.S. Higher Education Institutions to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. 

This joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education is part of interagency efforts to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences. 

This year’s events are special for the College. In 2023, CGTC became one of 34 U.S. colleges and universities in 28 U.S. states to be awarded a grant. Since then, the College has been working to develop and expand study abroad programs in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Brazil, and Africa.  

Under the work of the grant, CGTC has developed new international partnerships, trained faculty and staff, internationalized program curriculum, engaged diverse students in study abroad, broadened the destinations where underrepresented students have learned. 

“Technical college students are not traditionally represented among U.S. undergraduates studying abroad,” said JoBen Rivera-Thompson, CGTC’s director of Marketing, Public Relations, and International Outreach. “This grant allows us to change that; study abroad opportunities developed under the IDEAS Grant to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Brazil, and eventually countries in Africa demonstrate our commitment to a pathway for all students from many backgrounds to study abroad.”