December 9, 2020, Mexico City: The U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, and Partners of the Americas announce the new grant-winning teams in the latest Innovation Fund solicitation sponsored by Fundación Banorte, Fundación Gruma, and the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.
Strong in the Americas Fund
The100,000 Strong in the Americas (100K) Innovation Fund is the public-private sector collaboration of the Department of State, U.S. Embassies and Partners of the Americas working together with companies, foundations, regional governments, and academic networks to support and enhance partnerships in higher education between the United States and the rest of the Western Hemisphere. The Innovation Fund is the trusted and flexible mechanism in this hemispheric education initiative that inspires U.S. universities and institutions of higher education to work with higher education institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean to expand institutional capacity, create new academic exchange and training programs, and strengthen regional educational cooperation in the Americas.
Innovation Fund partnerships provide critical access for students to participate in tailored training and academic exchange programs and to work in teams to solve real-world problems, conduct research and acquire technical skills that today's workforce requires. Since its inception in 2014, and through December 2020, the Innovation Fund has awarded 243 grants (USD $25,000 to $35,000 each), to teams comprised of 491 universities and institutions in 25 countries and 49 U.S. states .
After six years, Mexico continues to be the leading country in this hemispheric education initiative to form partnerships with U.S. universities and institutions to create and implement new academic exchange and training programs. With today's announcement, we have 20 Mexican states and 27 U.S. states benefiting from 71 grants that impact students and faculty in both countries.
On behalf of the Universidad PanamericanaMexico campus, Dr. Salvador Rivas Aceves, in collaboration with Dr. Sarah Schmidt from Kent State University at Stark, and Dr. Sarah Schmidt of Kent State University at Stark, participated in the following project:
Global workforce skills for equity and inclusion.
Through their participation in this international exchange program between Mexico and the United States, students from Fox Valley Technical College and the Polytechnic University of Guanajuato will enhance the skills necessary to succeed in today's global economy. Students will be able to increase their global competencies, strengthen their second language skills, and increase their readiness to participate as global leaders, whether they choose to be entrepreneurs or work for a local or international company.
Kent State University at StarkNorth Canton, Ohio, United States
Universidad Panamericana, Mexico City, Mexico City, Mexico
On behalf of Universidad Panamericana, campus Aguascalientes, Dr. Julieta Domínguez Soberanes was the participant in this proposal. And, together with Dr. Carmen Licon, from California State University, Dr. Julieta Domínguez Soberanes participated in this proposal. California State University the team was formed for the following project:
The international network of rural entrepreneurs
In the project "The International Network of Rural Entrepreneurs," students from the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla and the University of Montana will jointly create business projects in collaboration with local communities and producers to promote new ways of doing business that will positively impact three spheres: economic, social and environmental, to reduce inequality and improve opportunities to break cycles of poverty. Students will initially collaborate through an online platform and then travel to the partner institution to visit rural communities and learn about local entrepreneurship.
Other researchers within UP will participate in the project, such as Mayeli Peralta Contreras and María del Carmen Gutiérrez Guerrero, among others. As well as several researchers from Fresno State University.
California State University, Fresno, Fresno, California, U.S.A.
Universidad Panamericana Campus Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, Mexico
Congratulations on these great achievements and let's keep working on projects that will help us expand our collaboration with top level institutions!
