Joliet Junior College Receives IDEAS Grant for Study Abroad Programs

Joliet Junior College (JJC) received $33,442 from the U.S. Department of State, making it one of 37 colleges and universities — and the only institution in Illinois — to share in the $1.3 million awarded through the 2024 Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students (IDEAS) program grant competition.

JJC’s proposal includes program development in Africa, which will improve job prospects for veterinary medical technology students, fill gaps in study abroad offerings for STEM students and enhance the number of male students who participate in study abroad programs.

"Most study abroad programs focus on language studies or humanities in European countries, offering limited value for students in STEM and CTE fields," said Nataliya Marchenko, international education coordinator at JJC. "To address this gap, JJC’s international education office, along with the natural sciences and vet tech departments, proposes an interdisciplinary approach to enhance global education and better serve our students pursuing transfer and career degrees."

To plan this unique learning experience, JJC staff will visit two sites in Africa to determine a location: Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls Wildlife Hub and Kenya’s Pardamat Conservation Area in the Maasai Mara. After the site visits, JJC will choose the program location and start recruiting students. The result will be a unique study abroad opportunity for veterinary technology and environmental biology students to learn the World Health Organization’s One Health approach to conservation and gain exposure to rare and endangered animals in their native habitats.  

According to Open Doors, fewer male students take part in study abroad opportunities. But with high male enrollment in environmental biology and veterinary technology courses, JJC hopes to see strong interest from male students in this new program.

The program's success will be evaluated after the initial run with plans to potentially expand it to other colleges in the Illinois Consortium for International Studies and Programs.

About Joliet Junior College

Founded in 1901, Joliet Junior College (JJC) is the nation’s first public community college. Serving over 35,000 students each year, JJC offers a wide range of degree and certificate programs, job training, and lifelong learning opportunities. We are committed to providing high-quality education that is accessible to everyone. For more information, visit www.jjc.edu.

For media inquiries, please contact communications and media manager Katherine Smith at katherine.smith@jjc.edu.