The 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund encourages institutions of higher learning to embrace new ways of promoting the cross-cultural exchange of ideas in order to solve real world problems and stimulate economic prosperity. Funded by Fundación Banorte, led by Chairman Carlos Hank Gonzalez, as well as Fundación Gruma, and the U.S. Department of State, one of the Innovation Fund’s projects invited students from Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC) in Appleton Wisconsin and Universidad Politécnica de Guanajuato (UPG) in Cortazar, Guanajuato, Mexico to work together to develop and enhance global competencies and employability skills.
This program included 22-year vocational college and polytechnic university students. The Mexican participants visited their Wisconsin counterparts, touring local farms and veterinary services, and engaging in diversity training. The Mexican students will have a chance to host the Americans in the future.
“The first step in creating a better future comes down to education,” Banorte Chairman González said.
FVTC is currently working with UPG on an agenda for site visit in Mexico. They are planning a site visit of the campus and surrounding areas for activities. This will help to build future study abroad programming.
Fox Valley Technical College’s project remains open through December 2023.
***********************************
The 100,000 Strong in the Americas (100K) Innovation Fund is the public-private sector collaboration between the U.S. Department of State, U.S. embassies, and Partners of the Americas working in collaboration with regional private, public, and academic sectors to stimulate innovative partnerships and inclusive exchanges for students and faculty between the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean. As of October 2023, after 35 competitions over 10 years, the 100K Strong Innovation Fund has awarded 306 grants ($25,000-$40,000 each) to teams of 572 higher education institutions (HEIs) working across 25 countries and 49 U.S. states. As a result of 100K Strong partnerships, upwards of 9,000 students and faculty have participated in dynamic, inclusive exchange and training programs throughout the Americas. The 100K Network, a virtual platform for higher education collaboration, includes more than 4,000 individual members representing approximately 2,300 HEIs in the Western Hemisphere.
To Join the 100K Network: www.100KStrongAmericas.org // Follow: #100KStrongAmericas
