MCN Receives Grant to Connect Young People Through Virtual Exchange
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sam Vaghar
Millennium Campus Network
svaghar@mcnpartners.org
Maura Daley
Stevens Initiative
maura.daley@aspeninstitute.org
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
U.S. Department of State
ECA-Press@state.gov
A grant from the J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative will enable Millennium Fellowship U.S.-MENA Exchange to give young people global collaboration and learning opportunities – without them having to leave their home communities . Boston, MA, November 19, 2024 –– Today, the Stevens Initiative announced Millennium Campus Network (MCN) is one of 9 schools, higher education institutions, and nonprofit organizations to receive funding to run virtual exchange programs that connect young people in the United States and the Middle East and North Africa. MCN will help reach 8,000 young people along with the new J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative Grantees, supported by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
“I’m proud to celebrate the addition of 9 new grantees to our 2024 J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative portfolio today. Over the last year, we have taken great strides to bridge cultural divides and prepare rising generations of global leaders,” said Christine Shiau, Executive Director of the Stevens Initiative. “Everything we do is centered around making transformative global experiences accessible to young people, and that would be impossible without the partnership of these incredible organizations and educational institutions.”
Through virtual exchange, participants build a better understanding of the world around them and develop critical thinking and cultural fluency skills needed to be successful in an ever changing world. It is a powerful tool to reimagine what global learning looks like, how it can be conducted, and how many people participate.
MCN’s Millennium Fellowship U.S.-MENA Exchange will connect undergraduate students from universities across the Middle East and North Africa and the United States in a virtual environment where they engage in leadership development training, cross-cultural dialogue, and collaboration on projects aimed at advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Participants will explore ethical leadership, global citizenship, and intercultural communication as they support one another in creating grassroots social impact initiatives. The program will empower young people to lead transformational projects while building a network of global change-makers.
MCN is honored to be partnering with the J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative in delivering this exciting virtual exchange program. For more than 15 years, we have worked directly with thousands of civically engaged undergraduates to help them cultivate core values, hone skills, and take action to strengthen communities. Collaboration and community have been the cornerstones of our approach. We’re now thrilled to be joining hands on this virtual exchange, providing an added opportunity for Millennium Fellows in the United States and MENA regions to learn about each other’s cultures and explore shared passions through structured dialogue.
The Millennium Fellowship U.S.-MENA Exchange is implemented by MCN and is supported by the J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative (JCSVEI). JCSVEI is a U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs program administered by the Aspen Institute.
More Information
Millennium Campus Network (MCN) is a Boston-based, global non-profit convening and training 21st-century social impact leaders. Through the Millennium Fellowship and Millennium Oceans Prize, MCN helps young leaders use their voices and power to make a difference on campus and in community.
The Stevens Initiative, a program of the Aspen Institute, is an international leader in virtual exchange, which brings young people from diverse places together for dialogue and discovery through everyday technology. Created in 2015 as a lasting tribute to Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, the Initiative is building a better tomorrow by championing global citizenship, empowering future leaders, and advancing the field of virtual exchange. 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. Learn more: 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.
