FSCJ Receives U.S. Department of State Grant to Expand Study Abroad Program

Florida State College at Jacksonville’s (FSCJ) received the U.S. Department of State IDEAS (Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students) Study Abroad grant, which will allow the College to build on global education initiatives through travel to Uzbekistan.

The two-year, $31,662 grant will support the Curricular and Global STEAM Pathways to Uzbekistan project with the goal of increasing the number of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) students participating in globally focused coursework and study abroad programming in less common destinations. The project will also address current, interrelated needs at the College to increase international awareness, instill a global mindset in STEAM graduates that prepares them for the workforce, enhance language and communication awareness and grow cultural engagement.

Objectives include:

• Implement and institutionalize a college credit-bearing Interdisciplinary Studies STEAM course culminating in study abroad and Diplomacy Lab projects in coordination with State Department officials at the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. 
• Increase the number of globalized STEAM course sections at FSCJ by 25%. 
• Launch a faculty-led STEAM study abroad program to Uzbekistan with the FSCJ Diplomacy Lab and STEAM faculty members in alignment with U.S. foreign policy goals: 1) Economic Growth, Innovation and Industry and/or 2) Science, Technology, Cybersecurity and AI. 
  

“At FSCJ, we are proud to offer students international learning opportunities through our Office of Global Learning and the Diplomacy Lab because we know that learning about different cultures and worldviews is advantageous for their future,” said College President John Avendano, Ph.D. “We are grateful for this grant and the opportunity to expand our global education programs for STEAM students into Central Asia, both to help grow U.S. relations there and to prepare students to thrive in our interconnected world.”

Established in 2019, FSCJ’s Office of Global Learning offers faculty, staff, students and the greater community with international learning opportunities, including study abroad. Learn more: fscj.edu/academics/ogl. 

FSCJ was accepted as a partner in the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomacy Lab in 2024. Through the program, U.S. State Department officials draft projects exploring current, real-world diplomacy issues and seek faculty interest bids to engage on a given project with student teams. In the FSCJ Diplomacy Lab’s first year, five projects were sourced, engaging more than 125 students. Learn more about FSCJ’s Diplomacy Lab: fscj.edu/academics/diplomacy-lab.