The CIEE Passport Caravan is a one-day, on-campus event sponsored by the International Division, International Academic Programs (IAP), and the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE). At the event, on Wednesday, September 18 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., CIEE will help up to 225 students apply for passports for free. Once issued, U.S. passports last for ten years, opening up a decade of possibilities for individuals to study, live, work, and travel outside of the United States.
Students who were eligible for the event were contacted by email and they must register for the event with the IAP study abroad office. It’s mandatory that all students seeking passports come ready with required materials or they will not be able to complete the passport application process. A list of mandatory materials is available at travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/first-time.html. (Unsigned Passport Application Form DS-11; Proof of US Citizenship; Proof of Identity; Passport Photo; Photocopy of Valid Photo ID)
This event will take place in conjunction with the UW-Madison Study Abroad Fair from 1:30-6 p.m. in Union South.
This event is part of CIEE’s support of Generation Study Abroad, an initiative to make study abroad possible for more U.S. students by breaking down the three major barriers to study abroad: cost, curriculum, and culture. Over the next five years, CIEE is sponsoring passports for 10,000 students around the country, as well as providing $20 million in scholarships and making an annual grant to college faculty to support innovative approaches for custom study abroad programs. The goal of Generation Study Abroad is to double the number of American students who study abroad by 2020.
About CIEE: Council on International Educational Exchange
Founded in 1947, CIEE is the country’s oldest and largest nonprofit study abroad and intercultural exchange organization, serving more than 300 U.S. colleges and universities, 1,000 U.S. high schools, and more than 35,000 international exchange students each year. CIEE operates 61 study centers in 43 countries, sponsors international faculty training programs, teach abroad programs, and various specialty and custom programs for secondary, post-secondary, and international students. Visit www.ciee.org.
Story by Steve Barcus