The 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund Celebrates its 10th Anniversary and new 100K Strong Initiatives at the Summit of the Americas 2022
June 09, 2022
During an event conducted on the margins of the Summit of the Americas, leaders from regional public, private, and academic sectors, including students, gathered to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund. The event also marked the announcement of new 100K Strong initiatives at the Summit.
The 100,000 Strong in the Americas Alliance for Climate Action (100K CLIMA) will build on region-wide alliances between industry, governments, and higher education institutions to catalyze climate action and collaboration between U.S. colleges and universities with higher education institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean to equip underserved students and faculty with technical and linguistic skills to lead in a climate-positive, 21st century green economy. The 100K CLIMA Initiative will create new 100K exchange programs in climate action, energy, technology, and social inclusion, and is supported by the Department of State with private sector partners including CAF: Development Bank of Latin America, Grupo Energía Bogotá (GEB), Cementos Progreso, and Amazon.
The 100,000 Strong in the Americas Inclusive Education Initiative will expand institutional partnerships between U.S. colleges and universities with regional education institutions in Latin America to create innovative, inclusive education exchanges in various thematic areas including climate action and increase training programs for students and faculty from Minority Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs).
In his remarks, Assistant Secretary Brian A. Nichols of the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs highlighted the collaboration across sectors to harness the power of education to ensure a more inclusive, green, and prosperous hemisphere. He recognized leadership at the event from CAF, GEB, Cementos Progreso, and Amazon for their visionary support of the new 100K Strong Initiatives.
Carolina España, Executive Vice President of CAF, remarked that “Today we are pleased to formally announce our financial and technical support of the 100K Alliance for Climate Action Initiative, which will provide students across our hemisphere with access to workforce readiness programs in climate action, energy transition, and other climate-focused fields. At CAF we are committed to generating new educational opportunities and promoting sustainable and inclusive development, based on the needs of all the inhabitants of the Americas, especially of women and the most vulnerable.”
Eduardo Uribe Botero, Chief Sustainability Officer at Grupo Energía Bogotá, emphasized in his remarks that “For the Energy Group of Bogotá, the sustainability of our operations and the contribution to a just, inclusive, equitable and economically efficient energy transition in Latin America are at the core of our businesses. We see them as necessary conditions for the growth of our operations, and for the prosperity of the communities we serve.”
José Raúl González Merlo, Chief Executive Officer at Cementos Progreso, stated “At Cementos Progreso we are honored to continue supporting 100K Strong in the Americas in alliance with the Department of State and Partners of the Americas. It is our belief that only through collaboration and shared value creation will we be able to accelerate solutions that can significantly reduce our vulnerability to climate change in Central America.”
“Amazon has long been committed to creating a sustainable business for our employees, customers, and communities,” said Kara Hurst, Vice President of Worldwide Sustainability at Amazon. “We’re proud to be a founding member of the 100K CLIMA initiative to help build on these efforts and empower more individuals throughout Latin America and the Caribbean with the skills needed to succeed in the green economy.”