IHEC Blog Initiative Named a Finalist for the 2020 GoAbroad Innovation Awards new "Innovation in Crisis Response" category!

I'm proud to announce that my colleague Jessica Oldford and I have been selected as a finalist for the 2020 GoAbroad Innovation Awards new "Innovation in Crisis Response" category! Our initiative for which we are a finalist is: IHEC Blog: Policies and Statements on Study Abroad Programs and International & Domestic Travel Due to COVID-19. You can see all of the finalists and categories on the 2020 Innovation Awards Finalist page at https://blog.goabroad.com/innovation-awards-2020-finalists/.

I also want to thank Travolucion for sponsoring this award category!

Final Call for GoAbroad Innovation Award Nominations - Deadline is May 10, 2020 at 11:59pm MST

This is the final week to submit nominations for the GoAbroad Innovation Awards!  Nominations must be submitted by Sunday, May 10, 2020 at 11:59pm MST. 

Since the NAFSA 2020 annual conference was cancelled there will be no GoAbroad Innovation Awards reception in St. Louis later this month but they will be held virtually this year!  Following is from the GoAbroad Blog about the 2020 Innovation Awards:

The GoAbroad Innovation Awards acknowledge institutions, organizations, and individuals moving the field forward, and commend leaders in the community for their efforts to go beyond the conventional—and we want to ensure that those innovations do not go unnoticed in 2020.

GoAbroad has added two new Special Awards for 2020:

*NEW 2020 SPECIAL AWARD* Innovation in Online Programming

This award recognizes an innovative individual, institution, or organization that has provided an exemplary and intuitive online experience in the field of international and experiential education. Evaluation will focus on program development, creativity, quality, and ease of access.

*NEW 2020 SPECIAL AWARD* Innovation in Crisis Response, sponsored by Travolucion

This award honors an individual, institution, or organization that has displayed innovation, agility, and responsiveness to the global coronavirus crisis. Nominations are evaluated on their scope and ability to provide specialized support.

You can learn more about the Innovation Awards and submit nominations here.

Nominations are now OPEN for the 2020 GoAbroad Innovation Awards!

GoAbroad Innovation Awards

Nominations are now OPEN for the 2020 Innovation Awards!

Submit your nominations today!

For People’s Choice, submit your nomination on this form.

SHOWCASING THE BEST IN INNOVATION, ORIGINALITY, CREATIVITY, AND EXCEPTIONAL IDEAS IN INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION

As the leading resource for meaningful travel, GoAbroad is pleased to present annual awards recognizing innovation in international education. The winners are selected by a prestigious and selective group of international educators known as the GoAbroad Innovations Academy. Award recipients are announced each year during GoAbroad’s evening reception at the annual NAFSA: Association of International Educators conference.

These awards acknowledge institutions, organizations, and individuals moving the field forward, and commend leaders in the community for their efforts to go beyond the conventional.

• 2020 Nominations
• The Innovation Awards Event
• The Innovation Awards Academy
• Past Innovation Award Winners

Disclaimer:  I will again serve as a member of the 2020 GoAbroad Innovation Awards Academy.  

Nominations for the 2019 GoAbroad Innovation Awards are due April 11th at 11:59PM MST!

GoAbroad is again accepting nominations for their annual Innovation Awards which are handed out at the GoAbroad reception during the NAFSA Annual Conference! 

The GoAbroad Innovation Awards are divided into the following categories:

• *NEW* Innovation in Cultural Immersion, Sponsored by StudentUniverse
• *NEW* Innovative TEFL / Teach Abroad Program
• Innovation in Diversity
• Innovation in Marketing & Digital Media
• Innovative New Intern Abroad Program
• Innovative New Study Abroad Program
• Innovative New Volunteer Abroad Program
• Innovative Technology
• Innovation in Sustainability
• Innovation in Philanthropy, Sponsored by the GoAbroad Foundation
• Innovation in Alumni Engagement
• Innovative Student Video
• People’s Choice

You can learn more about the categories and submit your nominations at https://blog.goabroad.com/innovation-awards/.

Take a moment to vote for the 2018 GoAbroad.com People's Choice Award

Vote Here

GoAbroad Announces 2018 Innovation Award Nominations

The other day, GoAbroad announced that they are now accepting nominations for their 2018 Innovation Awards.  This is an excellent opportunity to nominate and recognize those who make a difference in and have an impact on our field!

The GoAbroad Innovation Awards are divided into the following categories:

Innovation in Diversity
Innovation in Marketing & Digital Media
Innovative New Intern Abroad Program
Innovative New Study Abroad Program
Innovative New Volunteer Abroad Program
Innovative Technology
Innovation in Sustainability
Innovation in Philanthropy
Innovation in Alumni Engagement
Innovative Student Video
People’s Choice

Please visit this page to read more about the award categories & to submit nominations: https://www.goabroad.com/blog/innovation-awards/

Disclosure:  I receive no compensation for this post.  I'm simply a huge fan of GoAbroad.com and what they are doing across many areas and I've been known to wear GoAbroad.com hats from time to time.  I have also been a member of the GoAbroad Innovation Awards Academy and judged during the 2012-2017 awards.

Why Innovation Matters in International Education

Following is a guest post by Team GoAbroad:

Innovation communicates positive change — a nod towards a promising future that strives for success and growth. Innovation does not stop after fixing surface organizational problems, but digs deeper to overhaul existing procedures and strategies in order to yield a more efficient, more effective tomorrow. It reinvents the wheel, rather than just patching up the same design. The concept now thrives in every imaginable industry, from self-service kiosks in fast food chains to the development of self-driving commercial trucks, where start-ups and multinational corporate giants alike fight over the most out-of-the-box ideas.

Why Innovate?

In a globally competitive marketplace, even the most successful business models cannot hold up against the inescapable forces of change. A constant fight for relevancy, market share and consumers’ loyalty, in other words, a company’s fate, results in a scramble to stand out from the crowd and produce a better product for the consumer. Although taking a more collaborative approach, it is innovation in international education that has been challenging existing barriers and continuously propelling the field forward.

International education is a dynamic organism with change pulsing through all sectors — education, business, government and nonprofit — that work together for the overall betterment of the field. The unique interdependence of all involved parties means that innovation in international education relies on close collaboration and communicating of ideas. When innovation is implemented in one sector, the change trickles through the rest of the field.

Innovation in International Education

The Institute of International Education’s initiative, Generation Study Abroad, is one such program spurring a series of innovative practices within its partner organizations, associations, and universities. Working towards the goal to double the number of U.S. students participating in study abroad programs by the end of the decade, partners are rethinking ways to tap into underrepresented groups of students, expand funding possibilities to decrease financial barriers, and make global experiences more accessible to all. With a clear goal in mind, innovation can organically take shape where there is room for improvement, such as creating new funding options or marketing to a specific student profile.

Closely following trends in technology and social media has allowed international education administrators to adapt marketing strategies and campaigns to the modern realities in which young people and students live. Alumni engagement has also become an advantageous tool of the trade to directly appeal to students and make international programs seem like more an attainable reality. Facilitating connections between returnees and prospective participants through peer advising and mentorship programs, and building alumni communities are just the beginning to alumni engagement.

Innovation can also be seen changing the way international program participants interact with their host communities through new program creation, environmental and community sustainability, and philanthropy both domestically and internationally. Without a sustainable future in the countries and communities where international programs take place, international education would not be able to survive. Therefore, innovative practices must also be developed to create responsible programs that safeguard against negative impacts that participants might have when volunteering, studying, or traveling abroad.

Satisfying the needs of all stakeholders and facing global challenges is a complex undertaking, but innovation has become imperative for the future of international education.

The GoAbroad Innovation Awards Celebrate This

Every year, GoAbroad presents Innovation Awards to recognize and honor champions of the international education think tank that drive positive change in the field. Institutions, organizations, and individuals are nominated for distinct categories, such as Innovation in Diversity, Innovation in Marketing & Digital Media, and Innovation in Alumni Engagement, for their creativity and contributions. Winners out of the pool of finalists are carefully selected by the GoAbroad Innovations Academy, a prestigious group of international educators, and revealed at the annual NAFSA: Association of International Educators conference.

Curious about who has made the largest ripples in innovation this past year? Follow GoAbroad's annual Innovation Awards and learn about the 2017 Finalists on our Innovation Awards website. To score an invite to the reception at NAFSA announcing 2017 winners on Thursday, June 5th in Los Angeles, email Megan.Lee@GoAbroad.com.

2017 GoAbroad Innovation Awards is now accepting nominations!

Please visit the Innovation Awards website to learn more about the award categories: https://www.goabroad.com/awards/

Nomination forms are available at: https://www.goabroad.com/awards/nominate/

All nominations should be submitted no later than 11:59pm MST on Monday, April 3, 2017

Photo: My daughter age 13 on middle school service learning

trip to Ecuador