Global Grants Fund
Thanks to the generous support of the International Affairs Advisory Board, Global Grants support IAFS students undertaking a CU Boulder Study Abroad program. Global Grants are need- and merit-based scholarships intended to send more of our majors abroad to gain a global experience. Global Grant recipients have received awards to study in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. We welcome your involvement in our Global Grants initiative, our core study abroad scholarship!
University of Colorado Foundation
Attn: Gift Processing
P.O. Box 17126 Denver, CO 80217-9155
Memo: Global Grants Endowment #0151296
Want to set up a recurring donation or have additional questions? You can learn more at the .
Why Give to the ?
Your gift supports current students and has a long term impact on the lives of those who have received a Global Grant Scholarship. Without the Global Grant Scholarship, many students are unable to go abroad. Education abroad has a signficant impact on many students' lives and often leads them toward careers and opportunities they had never expected. Supporting the Global Grants Scholarship supports students' futures! Read about the impact that education abroad has had on many of our Global Grants Recipients below.
- Global Grant Recipient Studying Abroad (Fall 2024): Andres (IAFS) has great stories to share with you from his time in Chile! Read about Andres' time exploring Chile's Atacama Desert and his reflections on globalization's impact on the local communities around him.
- Previous Global Grant Recipeint: (IAFS & ECON, '23) studied abroad last summer in Oaxaca, Mexico with the support of a Global Grant Scholarship. She used her time there to conduct field research for her Honors Thesis on migration shelters in Mexico. She will be defending her thesis this Spring 2023 and plans to graduate with honors.
- Global Grant CU Boulder Alum: (IAFS & ANTH, '13) received a Global Grant Scholarship to study abroad in Nicaragua in 2011. After graduating from CU Boulder with an International Affairs and Anthropology degree in 2013, Stephanie has been working in Mexico City, Mexico since 2014 and is the Capacity Development Officer for (as of February, 2023). Check out her story.
Stories from Previous Global Grant Recipients
Shane Henderson received a Global Grant to participate in CU Boulder’s Entrepreneurship and Empowerment in South Africa Global Seminar. While abroad in Cape Town, he was able to work alongside and see first-hand the ambition of small business, local entrepreneurs and admired that “They are full of hope and are trying to make a better life for their families and their communities with the success of their businesses.”
Benjamin Lourie received a Global Grant to participate in the CIEE Russia: St. Petersburg Russian Language program. "The feeling of being more than just a tourist was very rewarding as I wanted to observe the culture and daily life of Russia," explains Lourie. In addition to classes, he lead conversation classes for Russian students improving their English, visited museums, and made friends with locals and fellow abroad students. After graduation, Lourie taught in Russia at Gorno-Altaisk State University as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant.
Stephanie Ahlgrain received a Global Grant to participate in the CIEE Nicaragua: Managua Social Justice and Development study abroad program. Ahlgrain shares, "Studying abroad helped me get my job as a Bilingual Case Manager shortly after graduating from CU Boulder. My experience in Nicaragua prepared me to be more understanding of the largely Latino population served at our clinic and helped me develop the Spanish skills needed to communicate with and care for patients."
Kayla Malcy received a Global Grant to participate in the SIT India: Sustainable Development and Social Change Program. Malcy learned about different issues facing India, ranging from national parks and displacement to the green revolution and migration. During excursions, she learned methods for saving indigenous crops, and gained experience for how to farm organically and make vermicompost, a rich compost processed by using specific worms to break down organic material.
Rachael Willihnganz received a Global Grant to participate in the ISA Spain: Granada Hispanic Studies program with a goal to refine her Spanish language fluency for a career in Hispanic human rights and environmental policy. As part of her program, she volunteered weekly at the , engaging with elderly patrons. "I practiced my Spanish language with native speakers and got to hear fascinating stories of childhoods during the Spanish Civil War (from 1936 to 1939) and the rule of Francisco Franco (from 1939 to 1975).
Martha Berhane received a Global Grant to participate in the CIEE Dominican Republic: Santo Domingo Liberal Arts in Fall 2013 program. "Of my semester abroad, I most value the people I met: they taught me the importance of community building and personal determination to face life challenges," shared Berhane. The people she met, skills she learned, and culture she was able to soak in, gave her a new perspective of the different adversities people around the globe face.
Click the video above to learn about the Global Grants!