Opportunity for students to study abroad Last updated: December 23. 2014 1:46PM - 628 Views By Joseph Pratt - rpratt@civitasmedia - 740-353-3101 The application deadline for U.S. Department of State’s scholarships to study in Germany for American high school students living in the Northeast is January 8, 2015. These scholarships fully fund high school students to study for the 2015-2016 academic year. By living with a host family and attending a local high school, participants learn the German language, immerse themselves in the culture and serve as youth ambassadors from the United States. Since 1983, the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) program has provided scholarships to over 23,000 American and German students. One of the current U.S. students, Delphine of Massachusetts, is soaking up the experience and writes, “The people I’ve met in Germany have left such a positive impression on me and I hope to do the same to them. As an exchange student, I am representing the country I come from everywhere I go, and with every one of my actions. It is therefore very important to leave good impressions on the people I meet.” To learn more about the scholarship, visit usagermanyscholarship.org. AFS-USA administers the program in CT, DC, DE, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI and VT for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, a division of DOS. Residents of the NE region can call 1-800-237-4636, extension 2216 or email Sara Dubois at [email protected] for details. “It is a wonderful program for youth exchange, because the students themselves act as youth ambassadors of the United States,” Sara Dubois, of the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange, said. “They are able to share their culture of the U.S. with communities in Germany, as well as reflect on their own cultures and learn from their German hosts. Those are the largest benefits of the program, but there are definitely many others as well.” Dubois also stated that student ambassadors also have the benefit of using the experience on resumes, especially for colleges, since cultural submersion is very impressive to universities. “I think for global competency and communication skills, cross culture communication skills are definitely create a huge benefit for those students,” Dubois explained. “There is also a factor of personal growth and reflection that could be a huge benefit.” AFS-USA is a worldwide, non-profit organization that has been a leader in providing intercultural programs for over 65 years. Each year, the organization sends more than 1,000 U.S. students abroad, provides approximately $3 million in scholarship and financial aid and welcomes more than 2,300 international high school students to be hosted by U.S. high schools and families. “When I arrived in Germany I did not know a single word of German, or much about European culture, history, or politics,” Maddie C., a 2011-2012 alumni, wrote. “ Today, I have friends across the globe and a family in Germany that welcomes me whenever I can visit. I am conversationally fluent in German and plan to continue my studies in college. In classes, I am now able to give first hand insight into what is actually occurring in international affairs and I am even looked to for insight into a Europeans perspective. CBYX made me more independent and willing to stand up and speak up. It changed my life forever.” Reach Joseph Pratt at 740-353-3101, ext. 1932, or by Twitter @JosephPratt03.
Posted on: Thu, 25 Dec 2014 22:52:18 +0000
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