WORCESTER— Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) has received funding from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs to expand access to its renowned Global Projects Program, a key component of WPI’s project-based learning model. The IDEAS (Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students) grant of up to $34,970 supports a new initiative aimed at increasing the participation of WPI students with disabilities in global off-campus research projects.
Since 1970, WPI has led the way in project-based learning, with the Global Projects Program enabling students to complete essential academic projects at over 50 project centers worldwide. Currently, nearly 85 percent of WPI students engage in an off-campus project during their undergraduate studies.
“Our mission is to ensure every student has the opportunity to access the Global Projects Program and to take into account the varying needs of students with disabilities,” said Kathleen Head, director of The Global School’s Global Experience Office, which administers the Global Projects Program, in a statement. “These off-campus experiential learning opportunities are transformative and engaging and we are committed to removing all the barriers to participation. To have this support from the IDEAS Program is very meaningful and helpful to our efforts.”
Nationally, 20.5% of all U.S. undergraduate students report having a disability, according to the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics. However, the Open Doors 2023 Report on International Educational Exchange shows that only 10.5% of U.S. students who studied abroad in 2021-2022 identified as having a disability.
While WPI’s participation gap is narrower than these national averages, the IDEAS grant-funded initiative aims to further increase the participation of students with disabilities in the Global Projects Program and enhance their experiences at off-campus project sites.
The IDEAS grant funding will support three different aspects of the initiative:
- Researching and developing a tool, potentially a survey or assessment form, to measure accessibility at project sites.
- Visiting three WPI project centers to use the assessment tool and generate a report to inform future site improvements.
- Creating and delivering training, workshops, and resources for faculty and staff to improve support for students with disabilities throughout all aspects of their participation in the Global Projects Program, including advising, program selection, travel preparation, and onsite project work.
The initiative will be co-managed by Head and Krista Miller, assistant director of the Global Experience Office, in collaboration with Amy Curran, WPI’s director of the Office of Accessibility Services.
“Some students with disabilities may decide not to pursue an off-campus project experience because they assume it’s not possible,” said Miller in a statement. “A goal of this grant-funded work is to take a more proactive approach to provide students with information about accessibility at off-campus project sites. We strive to meet the needs of our students so they can apply their acquired knowledge and skills to real-world challenges in communities around the globe.”
WPI is enhancing its existing practices to support students with disabilities in the Global Projects Program. The Global Experience Office and the Office of Accessibility Services collaborate to aid these students during off-campus project work. Additionally, the Office of Accessibility Services provides faculty with training on accessibility in off-campus and project settings.
Earlier this year, WPI’s efforts to expand global experiential learning were recognized with a 2024 Senator Paul Simon Spotlight Award for Campus Internationalization from NAFSA: Association of International Educators. This award highlights WPI’s support for the Global Projects Program, which includes a Global Scholarship offering each full-time undergraduate a one-time institutional scholarship of up to $5,000 to help cover the costs of an off-campus project experience.
The IDEAS Program, an initiative of the U.S. Department of State, aims to increase and diversify study abroad opportunities for U.S. students. It provides grants of up to $35,000 to colleges and universities to support study abroad programming aligned with U.S. foreign policy goals. World Learning, a nonprofit organization, supports the implementation of this program.
WPI is among 37 universities and colleges to receive a 2024 IDEAS grant.
Send news releases to Charlene Arsenault at carsenault@theworcesterguardian.org
