State Department’s IDEAS Program Awards Iona University Grant to Build Study Abroad Capacity
Viola Shala, an intern at the Center for Dialogue Prayer in Oswiecim, teaching Iona students and faculty about the history of Oswiecim.
Iona University has been awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of State’s Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students (IDEAS) Program. Iona is one of 37 U.S. colleges and universities that will use an IDEAS grant to establish, expand and/or broaden American student mobility overseas in support of U.S. foreign policy goals.
“The U.S. Department of State is proud to support these U.S. colleges and universities as they build capacity for more American students to study abroad in diverse locations around the world. Increasing the number of U.S. students with international experiences is part of our investment in ensuring that our country’s future leaders have the skills they need in fields ranging from global health to technology and innovation,” said Heidi Manley, Chief of USA Study Abroad.
Iona currently offers a diverse range of study abroad programs and looks forward to expanding opportunities through the Office of Study Abroad & Service-Learning.
Earlier this year, for instance, Iona students embarked on a week-long study abroad experience in Oświęcim, Poland, focusing on the complex themes of Jewish-Christian relations and the Holocaust during World War II and its lasting impact on history.
“Very few get to say that they have gone to Poland and walked the grounds of Auschwitz-Birkenau, and even fewer have had the honor to meet a survivor of the Shoah [meaning catastrophe in Hebrew],” said Shakinah Silverberg ’24. “I will forever be grateful and changed as a person moving forward.”
Iona nursing students visiting and donating school supplies to a third-grade classroom at a local Catholic school in Berekum, Ghana.
Meanwhile, in Berekum, Ghana, Iona nursing students recently spent 10 days gaining hands-on clinical experience and deepening their sense of patient-centered care in Africa. Placed in a rural hospital setting, students worked alongside Iona faculty and Ghanaian nurses and physicians to understand health care in an acute hospital environment.
“This trip has profoundly impacted my personal journey,” reflected Iona’s Ashia Graham ’24. “Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes, even for a brief moment, is incredibly humbling… Without this understanding or ability to view things from someone else’s point of view, how can you provide the best care for someone?”
At the same time, Iona marketing students participated in an immersive study abroad experience in Costa Rica. Focusing on ecotourism marketing, students notably visited the Starbucks Coffee Farm and learned about the importance of coffee in Costa Rica’s economic development, among many other unique opportunities.
In Costa Rica, students learned about the importance of coffee for the country’s economic development.
“Studying abroad in Costa Rica was more than just an adventure; it was a transformative journey that opened my eyes to the country’s vibrant culture,” said Herolinda Dacaj ’25. “From engaging with local businesses to exploring the lush rainforests and volcanoes, every moment was a valuable lesson in embracing new experiences. It was a trip that will forever shape my perspective on the world.”
Since 2016, the IDEAS Program has awarded 216 grants to 205 institutions in 49 U.S. states and territories to establish, expand, and broaden their U.S. study abroad programs in over 95 countries across all world regions. In addition to the IDEAS grant competition, the program also offers opportunities for international educators at U.S. colleges and universities to participate in free virtual and in-person study abroad capacity-building activities.
This year’s projects include activities such as developing new international partnerships, training faculty and staff, internationalizing curriculum, engaging students in study abroad, and creating virtual and hybrid exchanges. IDEAS grants will support programming to 36 destinations, across all world regions, for example in Botswana, Croatia, Indonesia, Nepal, Tunisia, and Uruguay. For a full list of 2024 IDEAS grantees, as well as information on upcoming IDEAS webinars and workshops, please visit www.studyabroadcapacitybuilding.org.
For further information about other study abroad resources and other exchange programs offered by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, please contact ECA-Press@state.gov and visit https://eca.state.gov/. The IDEAS Program is a program of the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the United States Government and supported in its implementation by World Learning.
ABOUT IONA
Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of nearly 4,000 students and an alumni base of more than 50,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona is widely recognized in prestigious rankings, including The Princeton Review’s 2025 national list of “The Best 390 Colleges” and The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse’s “2024 Best Colleges in America,” which ranked Iona at #66 in the nation overall and #8 in the nation among Catholic schools. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just six percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review recognized Iona’s on-campus MBA program as a “Best Business School for 2023.” Iona also offers a fully online MBA program for even greater flexibility. In July 2021, Iona announced the establishment of the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences, which is now principally located on Iona’s Bronxville campus in collaboration with NewYork-Presbyterian. Connecting to its Irish heritage, the University also recently announced it is expanding abroad with a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland. A school on the rise, Iona officially changed its status from College to University on July 1, 2022, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.