The Stevens Initiative was launched in 2015 as a living memorial and to continue the legacy of U.S. Ambassador to Libya J. Christopher Stevens, who studied abroad in Europe and served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco. The Initiative is a public-private partnership that is building global competencies and 21st century skills for young people in the United States and the Middle East and North Africa. Through virtual exchange, the Initiative connects youth through technology to collaborate and learn together, giving them access to a substantive international exchange. Through an open competition managed by the Aspen Institute, sub-grants are awarded to organizations to implement virtual exchanges.