The nonprofit consortium "California Colleges for International Education" (CCIE) is a working example of how a formal association involving community colleges uses collaboration to achieve a fundamental goal of increasing student awareness of international issues through study abroad programs. For over 30 years, CCIE members have worked together to advocate internationalization and to sustain organized efforts that share best practices and forge partnerships between colleges within a state system. CCIE member colleges have worked together to advocate and initiate the growth of study abroad programs through institutional collaborations.