FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Maura Daley
Stevens Initiative
maura.daley@aspeninstitute.org

Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
U.S. Department of State
ECA-Press@state.gov

Washington, D.C., May 14, 2024 – Today, the Stevens Initiative announced its support for 11 virtual exchange programs to give nearly 10,000 young people in the United States and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) access to meaningful, cross-cultural experiences that will enhance their understanding of the world around them.

“We are honored to welcome 11 new grantees today. Together, we are embarking on a journey of discovery and continued growth in the virtual exchange field. This marks a major milestone towards our vision of a world where virtual exchange is part of every young person’s life,” said Christine Shiau, Executive Director of the Stevens Initiative. “Each grantee embodies the spirit of innovation and collaboration necessary to help young people unlock their creativity, foster critical thinking skills, form friendships, and feel connected to the world. Their dedication to lifelong learning will help us create opportunities that transcend boundaries, inspiring a brighter, more interconnected future for all.” 

The 2024 J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative grantees collectively represent a diverse set of virtual exchange programming that will use everyday technology — such as virtual reality, video conferencing, and digital conversation spaces — to explore topics including artificial intelligence, STEM, climate action, entrepreneurship, and language learning. Young people who participate will gain exposure to cross-cultural settings, take on new perspectives, work collaboratively on projects and in dialogue, and build digital literacy skills — which will equip them with the tools they need to succeed in an evolving and interconnected world. 

“My brother dedicated his career to bridging divides between the U.S. and the Middle East and North Africa. I am deeply inspired by the dedication of these grantees and the young people they reach as they carry forward the vision of a more interconnected and compassionate world. They will continue Chris’ legacy of fostering global understanding, recognizing that virtual exchange is a powerful tool for meaningful dialogue and cross-cultural connection.” said Dr. Anne Stevens, Sister of Ambassador Christopher Stevens. The Stevens Initiative, conceived and developed in close partnership with Ambassador Stevens’ family, seeks to give a generation of young people the kind of meaningful international experiences that shaped Ambassador Stevens as a young man.

The 2024 J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative Grantees, which will reach young people in all U.S. states and territories and 11 MENA countries and territories, include: 

• Digital Promise’s Building Apps Across Cultures, designed in partnership with MAD-Learn and the International Education Association, fosters global competence and design thinking skills by connecting high school-aged youth in the United States and Lebanon through mobile app-building. 
• Florida International University’s Virtual Tabadul: Creating Language-Learning Community Through Virtual Reality brings together college-aged youth in the United States and the Middle East and North Africa for language-learning and community building through virtual reality (VR).
• Global Nomads Group’s (GNG) Overcoming Bias in AI connects middle and high school-aged youth for a virtual exchange about bias in AI developed by youth designers through an internship with GNG’s Content Creation Lab. 
• Miami Dade College’s Climate Stories is an eight-week virtual exchange between college students from Jordan and the U.S. to discuss climate change and its various causes and effects, connect through intercultural communication, and create changemaking podcasts that promote climate action among today’s youth. 
• Seattle University School of Law’s Transitional Justice Legal Exchange brings together Moroccan and American law students for a class on transitional justice and human rights co-taught by professors from American and Moroccan institutions. 
• Shenandoah University’s (SU) Virtually Going Global cultivates student engagement in global learning by bringing together Yarmouk University students in Jordan with American students at SU, who will participate in the virtual exchange as a requirement of their first year seminar undergraduate course. 
• Take Action Global’s Taking Climate Action Together provides learning experiences for teachers and students centered on sustainability and environmental literacy, green skills, and meaningful global connections.
• Texas International Education Consortium’s Community Climate Connect prepares facilitators in Iraq and Texas, United States, to design and conduct virtual exchange programs on a variety of environment and civic engagement topics for their students, who will develop key academic skills and cultural competencies.
• United Planet’s Youth2Youth Impact Investing empowers young individuals worldwide to foster sustainable and inclusive economic development through youth-led social entrepreneurship and leverage impact investing principles and the UN Sustainable Development Goals to become leaders in creating meaningful economic opportunities and driving positive change in their communities. 
• University of Florida’s Hands-on Energy and Thermo-fluids (HEAT) Program connects engineering college students in Egypt and the United States through virtual exchanges focused on energy and water using shared hands-on educational kits as the core learning tool.
• World Learning’s STEAM Innovations effectively prepares college-aged youth from Algeria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the United States for successful exploration of future STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) specialties and careers, while fostering cross-cultural understanding and equipping them with critical skills, a global perspective, and the ability to contribute meaningfully to their communities.

The J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative is a U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs program administered by the Aspen Institute.

More Information

The Stevens Initiative is an international leader in virtual exchange, which brings young people from diverse places together to collaborate and connect through everyday technology. The Initiative invests in virtual exchange programs; shares research, resources, and promising practices to improve impact; and advocates for broader adoption. Learn more: https://www.stevensinitiative.org. 

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) builds relations between the people of the United States and the people of other countries through academic, cultural, sports, professional and private exchanges, as well as public-private partnerships and mentoring programs. These exchange programs improve foreign relations and strengthen the national security of the United States, support U.S. international leadership, and provide a broad range of domestic benefits by helping break down barriers that often divide us. Visit eca.state.gov.

The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization committed to realizing a free, just, and equitable society. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the most important challenges facing the United States and the world.  Headquartered in Washington, DC, the Institute has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.

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