Coastal Carolina University has pledged to join the Institute of International Education (IIE)'s Generation Study Abroad initiative, which aims to double the number of American students who study abroad by the end of the decade.

"Our goal is to increase participation in study abroad programs through CCU by 60 percent by 2019-2020." says Darla Domke-Damonte, executive director of global initiatives at CCU. "We will accomplish this through curricular integration activities, novel programming and enhanced support for faculty and students. CCU is also working to expand participation in international internships through novel initiatives."

IIE is launching Generation Study Abroad because of its conviction that the number and proportion of today's students who graduate with an educational experience abroad is far too low. Currently, fewer than 10 percent of all U.S. college students study abroad at some point in their academic career. With 2.6 million students graduating with associates or baccalaureate degrees each year, major segments of America's young people are not getting the international experience they will need to advance their careers and participate in the global economy, or to work together across borders to address global issues.

"Globalization has changed the way the world works, and employers are increasingly looking for workers who have international skills and expertise," says Allan Goodman, president of IIE. "Studying abroad must be viewed as an essential component of a college degree and critical to preparing future leaders."

More than 150 higher education institutions from 41 U.S. states have already signed the Generation Study Abroad commitment, including large state and private universities, liberal arts colleges, community colleges, and historically black colleges and universities and other minority serving institutions. The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and several foreign governments, as well as key higher education associations and study abroad provider organizations, have also pledged to support the goals of the initiative. Recognizing the importance of an internationally focused workforce, IIE is also actively seeking the participation of corporations and the business community.

Generation Study Abroad aims to grow participation in study abroad so that the annual total reported will reach 600,000 by the end of the decade.

For more information about CCU's participation in the Generation Study Abroad initiative, contact Darla Domke-Damonte at 843-349-2129 or ddamonte@coastal.edu. For a complete list of commitment partners, go to: www.iie.org/generationstudyabroad