IES Abroad Global Institute Alumni Contest Terms & Conditions 2025
May 2025
The IES Global Institute (“Global Institute”) is a transformative initiative designed by Institute for the International Education of Students (“IES Abroad”) to empower educators and faculty to reimagine global learning. Through immersive workshops, collaborative exchanges, and a focus on addressing real-world challenges, the Institute offers a vibrant platform to develop innovative pedagogy informed by our three “Global Pillars” of Sustainable Living, Equitable Living, and Human Well-Being.
IES Abroad is hosting the inaugural Global Institute Forum in Barcelona in May 2025. To provide a holistic perspective of the Global Pillars model of learning, 2-3 seats at the Global Institute will be held for exceptional alumni who have taken a Global Pillars class and meet the other requirements listed herein. IES Abroad will select 2-3 contest applicants to participate in the Global Institute to be held in Barcelona, Spain from May 19-21. Selected alumni are expected to arrive on May 18 and depart on May 22.
IES Abroad will select winners from applicable submissions submitted by alumni participating in the IES Abroad Alumni Contest (“Contest”). Participation in the Contest is free. Submitting an application constitutes acceptance of these Terms and Conditions. A participant’s entry may be deemed void, in IES Abroad’s sole discretion, if it does not comply with these Terms and Conditions.
Entry is open to any alumni that (i) completed an IES Abroad semester (or year-long) program during which time they completed and earned a grade for ES/SO360 Designing the Sustainable City or ES/SO/PO363 Equitable Living: The Human Right to Migration, (ii) graduated or are currently enrolled in an accredited U.S. university and/or college and (iii) submitted a Contest application before the deadline indicated below. Alumni will have the opportunity to submit an application to the Contest in accordance with the Terms and Conditions listed herein.
Applications will be accepted from March 18, 2025 at 8:30 a.m. CDT until April 7, 2025 at 4:30 p.m. CDT.
Entrants may submit one application per person during the Contest application process. A panel consisting of certain IES Abroad staff members and faculty will review alumni submissions and select as Semi-Finalists, those applications the panel deems, in its sole discretion, best encompass the factors described below. IES Abroad Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs will review all Semi-Finalists and select the 2-3 winners, in their sole discretion. The total number of winners to be selected will depend on the strength of the overall applications submitted.
The panel will rank each application based on 1) its thoughtful engagement with application questions, 2) the strength of the final project that was completed while studying abroad with IES Abroad, and 3) clarity of goals for their participation in the Global Institute in Barcelona.
Each winner will be invited to participate, present, and share their experience as Global Pillars students at the Global Institute, attend Global Institute sessions, and spend some time enjoying Barcelona. In addition to complimentary access to the Global Institute, IES Abroad will provide selected finalists with international flights, ground transport, accommodations, meals, and insurance for the duration of their 5-day stay (3 days of events; 1 day ahead for arrival, and 1 day afterwards for departure) ("Finalist Expenses”). All Finalist Expenses will need to be pre-approved and booked through IES Abroad. Additionally, all Finalist Expenses are subject to IES Abroad travel policies and procedures. IES Abroad will not pay for additional days of travel and accommodations, or additional partners or guests of selected applicants.
Such awards will be awarded by IES Abroad, in its sole discretion. IES Abroad reserves the right to set a maximum amount per award. In order to receive the award, the selected applicants must be available to attend all three days of the Global Institute, commit to attending certain pre-identified key sessions across all three days, complete a brief written report following the Global Institute that identifies tangible learning outcomes from their attendance, and provide feedback on the Global Institute and Global Pillars Courses as a whole.
IES Abroad will notify the winners via the email address entered on the application entry form on a rolling basis and in any event, no later than two weeks following the submission deadline. If a selected winner does not respond within seven (7) calendar days of an initial notification, an alternate winner may be selected and the initial winner will forfeit their award. IES Abroad may also announce the winners publicly on its website at www.IESAbroad.org and on IES Abroad’s social media profiles, including without limitation, Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok and by submitting their application, applicant gives IES Abroad permission to do so.
IES Abroad reserves the right, and applicant gives IES Abroad permission, to use the name, likeness, image, educational background, institutional affiliation and details regarding the winning alumni and their submission in its marketing efforts, including without limitation, on its public website and social media sites. The selected winner(s) will be required to participate in two verbal or written pieces for IES Abroad’s marketing purposes. These may include, but are not limited to, participating in videos or interviews or submitting blogs or short essays written by the winners. All applicants grant IES Abroad and its affiliates a world-wide, perpetual, royalty-free license to use such application submissions, videos, interviews, essays or similar content.
IES Abroad also reserves the right to modify these Contest Terms and Conditions at any time. Contest dates, terms, and quantity per year are subject to change. All submissions are considered for use in future IES Abroad website content, social media posts, and print materials.