The power of a small seed grant can grow much larger than ever expected when used correctly.

In Part One of this series, World at Hand stretched a mere $1,000 to participate in multiple conferences and launch field-innovating pilots. This included Beyond Borders: Next Steps for post-study abroad support and development and the Colorado Community College Virtual Study Abroad Fair, creating a new entry point for community college students.

Yet one of the greatest outcomes of the Gateway International Group grant wasn’t a conference session or even a new partnership.

It was a conversation.

While at NAFSA 2025, made possible through the Gateway/Compear International Education Administrators Grant, Angela Schaffer and I sat outside the Global Leadership League networking event talking about community colleges. As Executive Director of the Fund for Education Abroad (FEA), Angie has spent years helping remove financial barriers for community college students through scholarships.

That conversation quickly turned into a question:

“How do we get more Colorado community college students into study abroad?”

Within minutes we had searched Colorado and found no community colleges participating in Community Colleges for International Development (CCID), very few easily accessible study abroad opportunities for students, and a glaring gap in the state’s international education ecosystem.

It also became the fastest turnaround from idea to pilot that World at Hand has ever experienced.

Within four months of that conversation, the inaugural Colorado Community College Virtual Study Abroad Fair was launched, bringing together local community colleges (Aims Community College and Red Rocks Community College), national scholarship and student support organizations (Fund for Education Abroad), and education abroad providers (AIFS Abroad, USAC, and IES Abroad).

While this pilot was intentionally small, we immediately saw its potential. The concept has continued to grow, including being selected for presentation at InnovateEA during the Forum on Education Abroad Annual Conference this past March in Nashville. (If you missed it, you can watch it here.)

But why community colleges?

Community colleges educate nearly 40% of all U.S. undergraduates, yet they remain dramatically underrepresented in study abroad.

Recent research from the Community College International Education Research Initiative reinforces why this matters. The report found that access to international education opportunities varies significantly across community colleges, with larger and better-resourced institutions far more likely to offer study abroad and related global learning opportunities. The authors ultimately call for stronger partnerships and innovative approaches to ensure all community college students have meaningful access to international education, regardless of where they attend college.

That is exactly what this initiative hopes to accomplish.

With the growing popularity of shorter-term and faculty-led programs, there has never been a better opportunity for community college students to participate in study abroad. Something the international education field must continue to recognize is that getting abroad, regardless of the program length, can fundamentally change the life of a student who may have never even left their home community before.

It is for this reason that World at Hand and the Fund for Education Abroad are launching the National Community College Virtual Study Abroad Fair this October.

The goal extends well beyond connecting students with study abroad programs.

The fair creates an affordable recruitment opportunity for providers of every size, including organizations that may not have the resources to attend large national conferences. It creates scholarship funding through registrations and sponsorships. It provides direct networking opportunities between emerging and established community college programs. It introduces smaller colleges to trusted in-country organizations, such as Green Tico, who will receive the complimentary Global South provider registration this year. Most importantly, it creates an entirely new national entry point into international education for millions of community college students.

While the Colorado pilot demonstrated what was possible, the true impact is best understood through the perspective of one of the institutions that helped bring it to life.

Guest Perspective

Jennifer Markevicz, Assistant Professor, Aims Community College

When Aims Community College launched its first-ever study abroad program in 2026, we wanted to provide students with much more than an opportunity to travel. We wanted to build a comprehensive support system that included scholarships, preparation resources, and opportunities for students to maximize the long-term impact of their experience.

Participating in the Colorado Community College Virtual Study Abroad Fair helped connect our students to that ecosystem. It also connected our team with providers, scholarship organizations, and colleagues who were eager to collaborate in expanding access for community college students.

Shortly after participating in the pilot, Aims successfully launched its first-ever study abroad program, taking students to Ireland.

The experience exceeded our expectations.

Research consistently shows that study abroad is associated with stronger academic achievement, higher graduation rates, improved career outcomes, and increased earning potential. We witnessed those benefits firsthand, but perhaps even more importantly, our students returned knowing these opportunities truly belonged to them.

The interdisciplinary learning was remarkable. Students taking Psychology of Death & Dying found themselves exploring Irish burial practices alongside archaeology faculty in ancient cemeteries, transforming what began as a course assignment into a much broader academic inquiry. Just as meaningful were the relationships that developed among students from different backgrounds. Military veterans built friendships with LGBTQ+ students. Non-traditional students mentored younger classmates. Students shared personal challenges and built a community that continues today, with many already planning annual reunions.

For Aims Community College, this program reinforced the transformative value of international education and the importance of making these opportunities available to every student.

Community college students remain significantly underrepresented in study abroad, particularly students from rural communities, Pell-eligible students, students of color, and those pursuing career and technical education. These students deserve the same opportunities as anyone attending a four-year institution.

I am excited to see the Colorado pilot grow into a National Community College Virtual Study Abroad Fair because collaboration like this creates opportunities for institutions to learn from one another, share best practices, and ultimately provide more students with life-changing international experiences.

Study abroad should not be viewed as a luxury reserved for a select group of students. Community colleges are uniquely positioned to help level the playing field, and international education should become part of the culture of community colleges across the country.

Looking back, it’s incredible to think that none of this was the original purpose of the grant.

A $1,000 professional development investment didn’t directly fund a national initiative.

Instead, it created the opportunity for a conversation.

That conversation became a pilot.

The pilot created new partnerships, generated scholarships, connected institutions, supported Aims Community College’s first study abroad program, and is now growing into a national initiative designed to expand access for nearly half of all undergraduate students in the United States.

That’s the power of a small grant.

Sometimes the greatest return on investment isn’t measured by what the money directly purchased. It’s measured by the conversations it made possible, the collaborations it inspired, and the opportunities those collaborations create for students who may have never believed global education was meant for them.

If your institution is interested in participating in the inaugural National Community College Virtual Study Abroad Fair on October 6, 2026, whether as a community college, education abroad provider, scholarship organization, or supporting partner, please connect with Shawn Wall.

About Gateway Pledge

Gateway International Group is proud to support international learning and professional development. Gateway pledges 3% of all revenue to advancing international education and leadership. This has led to:

• 35+ professionals and scholars supported, like Shawn
• 5+ association grants awarded
• $125,000+ invested in international learning

Learn more about the Gateway Pledge.