April is Community College Month. Standing at the forefront of workforce development and local economic growth, community colleges are increasingly exposing and connecting students with international education opportunities. This strategy prepares students to be more competitive in the future global workforce. Competencies such as language skills, adaptability, and the ability to collaborate in a globally interconnected world are now essential in nearly every sector, from healthcare and advanced manufacturing to cybersecurity and business.
Open Doors data continue to underscore the reach and relevance of community colleges for both American students studying abroad and students who travel to the United States for study. More than 5,700 U.S. community college students studied abroad in 2023/24. Studying at a U.S. community college also holds global appeal, with international students traveling from nearly 200 countries across the world to pursue educational opportunities. Nearly 64,000 international students attended U.S. community colleges in 2023/24, representing approximately 5% of all international students nationwide.
Community colleges are at the forefront of ensuring that international education is accessible, workforce-relevant, and responsive to community needs. The IIENetwork, IIE’s membership association, serves as a strategic partner to many community colleges, connecting them to resources, visibility, funding opportunities, and an international network of peers working at the intersection of global learning and workforce development. Through opportunities made available exclusively to IIENetwork members, institutions gain the tools, recognition, funding access, and peer connections needed to scale their impact and prepare students for success in a global economy.
Why Peer-to-Peer Networking and Collaboration Matter for Community Colleges
Through IIENetwork membership, colleges join an international community that elevates institutional impact and student outcomes. Benefits include:
- Recognition and Visibility: IIENetwork members are eligible for prestigious honors such as the IIE Andrew Heiskell Awards for Innovation in International Education, which spotlight exemplary programs and raise institutional profiles nationally and globally.
- Grant and Funding Opportunities: Many IIE-administered initiatives, including the American Passport Project and Emergency Student Fund, are exclusively available to IIENetwork members. These initiatives help institutions to remove financial barriers and expand student participation.
- Peer Learning and Best Practices: Members connect with industry experts and colleagues across institution types and regions, sharing models for internationalization that are scalable, equitable, and workforce aligned. The IIENetwork hosts numerous webinars each year, providing members with forums for thought leadership and information sharing.
- Thought Leadership Platforms: Community college leaders and practitioners also contribute to the semiannual IIENetworker magazine and the IIE Opening Minds Blog, ensuring their voices shape the broader international education field.
The IIE American Passport Project
The costs associated with studying abroad—including passport application fees—prevent a significant portion of American college students from embarking on the experience. IIE created the American Passport Project in 2020 to cover the costs associated with passport applications. To date, 25 community colleges have received Passport Project grants, enabling nearly 550 students to obtain their first U.S. passports and participate in international experiences.
Student voices reflect their motivations to participate in the career-shaping impact of these opportunities:
Cybersecurity is an important career and I want to see how it functions in other parts of the world.”
Bergen Community College Student
I would like to study medicine abroad and gain a better understanding of how forensics works outside of the United States.”
Mesa Community College
These experiences help students connect classroom learning to global career pathways, strengthening both confidence and employability.
Recognition Through the IIE Heiskell Awards
Through the Heiskell Award program, IIE has witnessed firsthand how community colleges directly align international education with career preparation.
Lone Star College received the Heiskell Award for Widening Access to International Education in 2025. Its Global EdVantage initiative has significantly expanded student participation in global learning while strengthening transfer success, career outcomes, and in-demand work skills for thousands of students throughout Texas. By integrating global coursework, faculty development, study abroad, virtual exchange, and co-curricular programming across the large, multi-campus system, the initiative illustrates how international education can be embedded in a range of student pathways, not just traditional study abroad terms. Read more to learn how the professionals at LSC built this comprehensive and scalable model.
Also last year, Texas’s Alamo Colleges District received the Heiskell Award for Strategic Partnerships for its International Nursing Pathway, developed with the Methodist Healthcare System and Tecmilenio University. This workforce-driven initiative addresses nursing shortages by preparing internationally trained nurses to meet U.S. licensure and practice standards. By integrating global education, employer engagement, and clear employment pathways, the program exemplifies how international partnerships can respond directly to labor market needs.
Building Career Skills Through Global Learning
Community colleges are advancing the conversation around global learning and workforce readiness through the IIENetworker magazine. In the Spring 2025 issue, Career Skills at the Core, Jonah Kokodyaniak, IIE’s Executive Vice President of Program Development and Partner Services, interviewed President Jenny Varner of Davidson-Davie Community College about embedding global competencies across academic and workforce programs. The article highlights how international curricula, study abroad, virtual exchange, and employer partnerships work together to prepare students for careers in globally connected industries.
Earlier issues have further reinforced these themes, including the Fall 2023 article, It’s About Priorities: Internationalization in Community Colleges, which emphasizes aligning global engagement with workforce development, enrollment strategy, and civic responsibility.
New Partner Resource
IIE affiliates Community Colleges for International Development (CCID) and the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) have produced and will soon release Global Learning in Community Colleges, a free, publicly accessible resource to help community, technical, and vocational colleges advocate for the value of global education. The report provides data and talking points that colleges can use with students, families, leaders, policymakers, employers, and the media to highlight the vital role community colleges play in preparing learners for a globally connected world. Learn more.
As community-rooted institutions, community colleges are uniquely positioned to ensure that global learning and relevant international experiences are not add-ons but practical and integral dimensions to student success and career readiness. We look forward to continuing to build pathways where global learning fuels workforce readiness and opportunities for all students.
