Diversity, Equity, Inclusion
We support students as they seek out opportunities to grow. Our goal is to provide prospective students with information, resources, and questions to ask themselves so that they can best determine where they want to go abroad.
We admire the fact that the world is comprised of people with many different identities, cultures, belief systems, and levels of ability, and all are needed in order to make this world a more understanding and accepting place. Across the U.S., CIS Abroad is working closely with study abroad offices and college faculty to encourage all students to participate in education abroad programs. Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is made real as we push for access abroad for all year after year.
About CIS Abroad's Commitment to Diversity
As a member of the Diversity Abroad Network, we are committed to increasing access, diversity, and equity in international education through programming and funding; in fact, we offer a Student of Color Scholarship, a Rainbow Scholarship for LGBTQIA+ students, a First-Generation Student Scholarship, and a TRIO Student Grant to financially support participants. Additionally, CIS Abroad pledges to increase knowledge about and access to education abroad for diverse populations. In 2023 we were a finalist for a PIEoneer award for our Allyship Training and Resources for LGBTQIA+ Students.
CIS Abroad is committed to increasing knowledge about and access to education abroad for the LGBTQ+ student population. We have surveyed our overseas partners and developed a list of top LGBTQ-friendly programs. CIS Abroad has committed to ensuring all staff are LGBTQ+ allyship trained and to also offer the training to university partners at least once a year. In 2022, 263 higher education professionals completed the training. The training is offered in partnership with the UMass Amherst Stonewall Center, whose mission is to provide support, resources, programming, and advocacy for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex, asexual (LGBTQIA) and allied students, staff, and faculty at UMass Amherst and for the larger Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts. Studying abroad as an LGBTQIA+ or gender nonconforming student brings an additional set of challenges and options to consider. Students may have questions and want assistance in researching program locations before choosing a study abroad location. Being safe and comfortable is important to any study abroad student, and CIS Abroad wants to ensure students feel safe and are successful. We focus on the LGBTQIA+ student population in an effort to not only increase students’ knowledge about and access to education abroad, but to also better serve those students as Ally Advisors.