For a third year in a row, a program delivered by AFS Intercultural Programs has been shortlisted for The PIEoneer Awards, a prestigious recognition for innovation and achievement in global education annually. This year, AFS is recognized in the following categories:
- PIEoneer of the Year for AFS Global STEM Accelerators
- Championing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for AFS Global STEM Accelerators
- Digital Innovation of the Year – Technology as a Multi-Language Video Creator
Winners will be announced during the PIEoneer Awards ceremony on September 22 in London.
AFS Global STEM Accelerators are a 12-week interactive online exchange program for girls around the world, ages 15 -17.5, with a focus on sustainability and social innovation, empowering young women to become changemakers in their communities. Participants learn how to create positive social impact, earn a certificate from the University of Pennsylvania, and join the global AFS alumni community.
This program is part of the AFS Global STEM Changemakers initiative, funded by bp, which was launched in 2022 to provide scholarships to 5,000 young people and educators worldwide. The initiative includes four distinct programs with immersive learning experiences through STEM, global competence, and sustainability-focused intercultural exchange programs.
In its first year of programs, AFS won the prestigious Diversity Abroad’s 2022 EDIIE Award for Outreach, Marketing & Recruitment for one of these STEM programs. The Award recognizes AFS’ inclusive outreach practices in partnership with SPARK for the AFS Global STEM Accelerators program that provides young women and refugees with access to STEM and international education. In 2022, AFS was able to award 180 scholarships to young women from 61 countries, including refugees and people from displaced communities, low-income households, and those who will be the first in their families to graduate from high school. Applications for the 2023 Accelerators program are open until June 25.
“I have always looked for self-growth in myself and my ideas, and this platform provided me with just that. Not only did I get to know myself and my community better, acquired incomparable knowledge and skillset, interacted in a diverse community, and became a changemaker, but most importantly I learned to be courageous and brave.”—2022 Participant of the AFS Global STEM Accelerator Program