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Kentucky State University has teamed up with the Coral Reef Restoration Alliance (CORALL)  to increase institutional capacity and resources via curriculum development for minority faculty and students who will participate in on-campus and academic field courses, and a field excursion in Barbados. The course will be interdisciplinary and developed with a focus on global and local initiatives to address the effects of climate change in Caribbean coastal ecosystems.

This collaboration is supported by a $35,000 grant from IDEAS (Increase & Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students).

The main goals of the program support the U.S. Department of State and Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) to assist U.S. colleges and universities in creating, diversifying, and/or expanding their study abroad programming in support of U.S. foreign policy goals (www.worldlearning.org, 2023).

The Principals of the KSU/CORALL Studies Abroad Program are Susan Mahon, president of CORALL, and Dr. Berkley N. King Jr., earth and geoscience education professor at Kentucky State.

“Kentucky State University is excited to partner with CORALL-Barbados to internationalize student academic experiences and expose them to study abroad experiential learning opportunities,” shared Dr. King. “Our students will also be able to expand and gain valuable knowledge that will impact their academic and personal development. KSU students will explore coastal environments and coral reef ecosystems that they may not be exposed to in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.” 

Together, with support from their respective organizations, Mahon and King will:

• Create the first faculty-led study abroad program in Barbados that will be the cornerstone for the development of an additional academic certificate program at KSU;
• Enable KSU students to gain practical knowledge, by implementing, and evaluating research projects that take into account the social, economic, and physical factors that affect resource utilization decisions and resulting environmental consequences; and,
• Increase global presence and opportunities for minority faculty and students in keeping with U.S. Foreign Policy Alignment.

Activities will include: (1) The development and refining of a study abroad curriculum for KSU; (2) An international site visit to CORALL (Barbados) for the KSU faculty during which CORALL Members will provide a water, land and cultural exploration that serves as an introduction to the geography, environment, and history of Barbados; (3) Delivery of an introductory presentation and conduct of participatory sessions, by the President of CORALL and KSU Faculty in Kentucky, re the new academic course and field excursion; and, (4) Recruiting of students for the new course and field excursion by the Office of International Student Experiences at KSU.

Representatives from the IDEAS grant program, World Learning, United Nations, KSU, CORALL, mentors, partners, sponsors, and members of the media, will be invited to informative presentations on the development of the KSU/CORALL Studies Abroad Program; and videos and other information will be posted, via social media, about past and current activities.