CIEE Launches Social Media Campaign Celebrating The Brilliance of Frederick Douglass Global Fellows and The Benefits of Studying Abroad

Sharing Exceptional Student Videos in Hashtag Campaign #CIEEmpower #MSInspirational #FrederickDouglassGlobalFellows

News provided by

Council On International Educational Exchange (CIEE)

Jan 10, 2019, 15:16 ET

PORTLAND, Maine, Jan. 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- This week, the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) launched a social media campaign – #CIEEmpower #MSInspirational #FrederickDouglassGlobalFellows – to share the personal reflections of 20 extraordinary students who have studied abroad in the Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship program, which is sponsored jointly by CIEE and the Penn Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI).

Carmen Crusoe, Howard University, reflects on CIEE's 2018 Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship experience in Cape Town. Learn more about the Frederick Douglas Global Fellowship at ciee.org/fdgf

Each year, the Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship awards 10 students from the nation's 600-plus Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) full scholarships to a summer study abroad program designed to enhance their leadership and intercultural communication skills. Named in honor of Frederick Douglass, the renowned African-American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and international statesman, the Fellowship was launched in 2017.

A goal of this social media campaign is to showcase the diverse stories of the Frederick Douglass Global Fellows, in the hopes that students of many different ethnic, socioeconomic, and academic backgrounds will see someone like themselves who has had a life-changing study abroad experience and will be inspired to apply for a 2019 Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship. The campaign launched with a video created by Carmen Crusoe, a junior at Howard University.

In addition to Crusoe, the campaign will also highlight the experiences of the following students:

2018 Frederick Douglass Fellows – Studied in Cape Town, South Africa

Chiagoziem Agu, Albany State University
Joshua Blackwell, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
Andres Colmenares, Miami Dade College
Darielis Cruz, Mercy College
Juan Jose Duran, California State University, San Marcos
Kloe Harris, Lincoln University, Missouri
Malena Her, California State University, Sacramento
DeVon Jackson, Virginia State University
Jorian Reeves, Xavier University of Louisiana

2017 Frederick Douglass Fellows – Studied in London, England

Georgina Aguilar, University of California, Santa Barbara
Brennan Edwards, Lincoln University of Missouri
Trey Hawkins, Howard University
Chinwendu Maduegbunam, Fayetteville State University
Vincent Owoseni, Paul Quinn College
Mayra "Kahori" Vidana Sanchez
Zakiya Smith, University of Texas in El Paso
Meghan Sowersby, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania
Katherine Tran, University of Texas at San Antonio
Peire Wilson, LaGuardia Community College

Data recently released by the Institute of International Education found that less than 30 percent of the 332,727 students who studied abroad in 2017 were students of color, and only 6.1 percent were African-Americans. The Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship was designed to break down barriers of cost, curriculum, and culture to make study abroad programs more accessible to students traditionally underrepresented in study abroad.

Students selected for the 2019 Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship will participate in an intensive four-week, three credit summer study abroad program at CIEE's London Global Institute. New this year, all qualified students who apply for the Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship but are not selected as Fellows will still receive $1,500 grants toward select study abroad programs.

Chiagoziem Agu, a 20-year-old student at Albany State University, called his experience as a 2018 Frederick Douglass Fellow in Cape Town, South Africa, "nothing short of amazing, intellectually challenging, and overall enlightening."

"In a four-week span, I was afforded the opportunity to engage in some of the most necessary and thought-provoking conversations I have ever had with some of the brightest minds," Chiagoziem said. "Every day, I was exposed to something different."

Online applications for the 2019 Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship are due by February 14, 2019, and can be found HERE. Applicants must be freshmen or sophomores from MSI institutions listed HERE and the additional requirements are HERE.

Students interested in applying should reach out to CMSI's Associate Director for Programs, Paola "Lola" Esmieu, at [email protected] with any questions.

About CIEE
CIEE, the country's oldest and largest nonprofit study abroad and intercultural exchange organization, transforms lives and builds bridges by promoting the exchange of ideas and experiences. To help people develop skills for living in a globally interdependent and culturally diverse world, CIEE sponsors a wide variety of opportunities for cultural exchange, including work exchange programs, teach abroad programs, and a worldwide portfolio of study abroad and internship programs for college and high school students. Visit ciee.org. Follow @CIEEStudyAbroad on Twitter and Instagram, @CIEE_news on Twitter, and @CIEE on Facebook

Media Contact: Leslie Taylor, (207) 553-4274, [email protected]

SOURCE Council On International Educational Exchange (CIEE)