First Trip to sponsor new passports for 30 HBCU students

Thanks to the generous support of our individual and corporate donors, First Trip will sponsor 30 passport vouchers for students attending historically black institutions throughout the Greater Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area.

Vouchers will be awarded to students who have never previously owned a passport or traveled outside the United States. First Trip President, Dex Burns initially introduced the idea of passport application guidance and sponsorship after attending a virtual study abroad forum hosted by Diversity Abroad in the Fall of 2020. “Since obtaining a passport is the first step for students traveling abroad – it is important to make that process as simple and pain free as possible” Burns noted. Fundraising for the passport voucher initiative began in the Spring of 2021 with the goal to provide funding for 20 passports.

Increased support from individuals has enabled the organization to surpass this initial goal!

In additional to the vouchers, students will have the opportunity to participate in our unique passport workshop (conducted virtually) which explores the benefits of passport ownership and the many opportunities that it provides. Special emphasis is placed on the “nuts and bolts” of the DS-11 passport application form and how to navigate the State Department’s website. We are truly grateful for our academic partnerships in the D.C. area as we prepare the next generation of global scholars.