For the 2017-2018 academic year, international exchange participants will study at ten community college campuses across eight states as part of the Community College Initiative (CCI) Program. The U.S. Department of State’s CCI Program is administered by Northern Virginia Community College on behalf of the Community College Consortium. The program provides participants with a one-year non-degree academic program in workforce development fields at a U.S. community college.
The CCI Program is designed to build participants’ technical skills, enhance leadership capabilities, and strengthen English language proficiency. The program also provides opportunities for professional internships, service learning, and community engagement activities to build relations between citizens of the United States and other countries. This year, participants will focus on study in the fields of agriculture, applied engineering, business management and administration, early childhood education, information technology, media, public safety, and tourism and hospitality management. After completing the CCI Program, participants return home with a deeper understanding of U.S. culture and with improved technical and vocational skills to contribute to the economic development of their home communities.
In 2016-2017, independentsector.org reported that CCI participants contributed nearly $1.3 million in service to local U.S. communities. CCI participants also contribute to their U.S. host communities by helping to internationalize U.S. community colleges.
2017 marks the CCI Program’s 10th anniversary. Since 2007, the CCI Program has hosted more than 2,800 participants from 21 countries. This year, CCI participants are from Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Dominican Republic, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, South Africa, and Turkey. The CCI Program recruits participants from underserved and unrepresented communities, particularly women.
For further information, please contact the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at eca-press@state.gov.