US Department of Education Grant Funds International Internships

According to the US International Trade Administration, 95% of the world’s consumers live outside the United States. Targeted efforts are underway at Illinois State University to prepare future graduates for success in the international marketplace.  This summer multidisciplinary teams of students went abroad on innovative internships to increase international economic opportunities for agriculture-based businesses AgVantage, Inc., of Loves Park, Illinois, and FranMar Chemical, of Bloomington. Teams visited New Zealand and Germany. Students represent Entrepreneurship, International Business, and Marketing in the College of Business, and Agriculture and Technology in the College of Applied Science and Technology.

In May, Illinois State University received a 2-year grant totaling $160,000 from the US Department of Education to expand these efforts. “By linking all these disciplines in a team-based international internship, students gain essential hands-on experiences that also benefit Illinois businesses,” said Peter Kaufman (MKT). He and Iris Varner (MQM) are Principal Directors of the project. Mark Hoelscher (MQM), Aslihan Spaulding (AG) and Klaus Schmidt (TECH) are Co-Directors who collaborated on the grant proposal and internship opportunities.