BOSTON, May 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Nine universities in the United States and Latin America received grants from Santander Universities for study abroad and exchange programs under President Obama's 100,000 Strong in the Americas initiative. Santander Universities, a division of Santander Bank, N.A., has committed $1 million over four years to support the educational exchange program being implemented by Partners of the Americas Foundation, one of the organizations the Department of State selected to implement President Obama's initiative.
The 100,000 Strong in the Americas initiative aims to foster the exchange of university students in the United States with their peers in Latin America and the Caribbean, with the goal of reaching 100,000 exchanges a year by 2020.
"We are delighted to support President Obama's 100,000 Strong in the Americas initiative through our unique universities network and through these grants," said Roman Blanco, president and CEO of Santander US. "By supporting international education programs, we are investing in our future and preparing students to be leaders in our global workforce."
The announcement follows Roman Blanco's participation this month in the President's Education Roundtable at the White House on strengthening education and workforce development in the Western Hemisphere.
Funding for this round of grant recipients was provided by Santander and was open to higher educational institutions that promote study abroad or exchange programs in the Western Hemisphere.
The following nine colleges and universities that received grants will partner with higher educational institutions in Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States.
- California State University Long Beach in Long Beach, California
- Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin
- Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey
- North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina
- Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts
- University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado
- University of South Dakota in Vermillion, South Dakota
- Universidad de La Salle in Bogota, Colombia
- Universidad de San Andres in Buenos Aires, Argentina
The announcement was made at a workshop attended by over 200 higher education leaders in San Diego, California on May 25 in conjunction with the NAFSA: Association of International Educators' annual conference. The workshop focused on creating and maintaining successful study abroad and exchange programs with previous grant recipients of the 100,000 Strong program. Participants included Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, special advisor for 100,000 Strong in the Americas, U.S. State Department; Steve Vetter, president, Partners of the Americas; Marlene M. Johnson, executive director and CEO, NAFSA: Association of International Educators; and Eduardo Garrido, director of Santander Universities US.
This is the first year of a four-year agreement with the Partners of the Americas Foundation to support the 100,000 Strong in the Americas initiative.
About Us
Santander Bank, N.A. is one of the largest retail banks in the United States by deposits. Its main corporate offices are in Boston and it operates principally in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. Santander's 9,469 employees serve its 1.8 million customers through the Bank's 706 branches, 2,074 ATMs, call centers, website and mobile app. Supervised by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Santander in the United States is a wholly-owned, financially autonomous subsidiary of Banco Santander (NYSE: SAN), a global commercial and retail bank. For more information about Santander, visit www.santanderbank.com or call 877-768-2265.
Santander Universities was founded in 1996 as a means of advancing the Santander Group's mission to contribute to the advancement of society through its support of higher education. The Santander University Global Division provides funding for teaching and research, international cooperation, knowledge and technology transfer, entrepreneurial initiatives, student exchange and innovation. It maintains more than 1,100 agreements with universities and research centers worldwide, including 32 in the United States through Santander Bank. In 2013, Santander Universities provided funding for 4,105 new projects and 37,712 scholarships globally, as well as over 100 projects and over 1,000 scholarships in the United States. For more information about Santander Universities Global Division, visit www.santander.com/universities.
Partners of the Americas builds partnerships that create opportunity, foster understanding, and solve real-life problems. The Partners Network is comprised of volunteers and development professionals who are committed to serving others. Its partnerships are built around the core structure of chapters in countries and states that form north/south partnerships. In addition, it forms inter-institutional partnerships between northern and southern universities, development agencies and civic organizations. Inspired by President Kennedy and founded in 1964 under the Alliance for Progress, Partners is a non-profit, non-partisan organization with international offices in Washington, DC.
SOURCE Santander Bank, N.A.
