Two St. Lucia Schools Win Literacy Prizes

The U.S. Embassy to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean is proud to provide support to Hands Across the Sea, an organisation dedicated to raising the literacy levels of Eastern Caribbean children, from pre-school to secondary school. 

Students at Richfond Combined School enjoy a literacy-rich environment at school and at home.

Recently two schools, Richfond Combined School and Bonne Terre Preparatory School were awarded the 2012/2013 Hands Across the Sea Literacy Awards for St. Lucia. The principals, teachers, and children at the schools have enthusiastically embraced Hands Across the Sea’s CLASS (Caribbean Literacy and School Support) programme, which has shipped 3,400 new books to Richfond Combined School and 1,150 new books to Bonne Terre Preparatory School over the past three years. The Hands Literacy Award  comes with U.S. $1,000 in brand new books or other literacy assistance for each school.

Students celebrate at the presentation of the U.S. $1,000 Hands Literacy Award to Bonne Terre Preparatory School

Also in the 2012/2013 school year, Gros Islet Secondary School was the recipient of a shared grant from the U. S. Embassy in Barbados, the William Ewing Foundation, and Hands Across the Sea. The grant allowed Gros Islet Secondary to receive over 400 brand new books for their school library. Principal Mrs. Delia Alcindor-Charles said, “We are pleased to have this wonderful selection of resources to help improve students’ motivation to read.”

Gros Islet Secondary School students display some of the new books received from Hands and the U. S. Embassy Grant.

Hands Across the Sea has sent over 26,900 new and near-new books and 30 boxes of teaching resources to 34 schools, community libraries, and reading programs on St. Lucia, reaching over 8,000 children. The CLASS program, in concert with each school year’s Hands Wish Lists (school principals, teachers, and U.S. Peace Corps Volunteers tell Hands which books they need), works  in three ways: 1. Send Great New Books; 2. Create Borrowing Libraries (usually a school library); and 3. Foster Sustainability of the library through support at the school and from the local community. On St. Lucia, Hands Across the Sea partners the U.S. Peace Corps, the U. S. Embassy in Barbados, and The Sandals Foundation, and works closely with the St. Lucia Ministry of Education. Hands Across the Sea also serves schools on the islands of Anguilla, Antigua, St. Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada.

Scholarships and Financial Aid News at U.S. Universities

Weekly Update #315 (February 5th, 2013)

I. Financial Aid UG: Butte College Fee Waiver Scholarships UG: Augustana College Merit- and Need-Based Scholarships UG/Grad: Full Sail University Global Achievement Scholarships Grad: William & Mary Law School Merit-Based Scholarships Grad: University of Hartford School of Communication Teaching Internships Grad: Bowling Green State University MBA Assistantships II. Campus News • Ohio University Extends Undergraduate Application Deadline • University of Colorado Denver Waives Application Fee • Pakistan Native and Eastern Illinois University Alumna Finds Career in Broadcasting • Northwestern Michigan College International Club Participates in 'One Billion Rising' • Brown University Receives Most Diverse Applicant Pool in History • Pittsburg State University Hosts Mini-MBA Program BUTTE COLLEGE FEE WAIVER SCHOLARSHIPS For over 40 years, Butte College has successfully offered a quality educational experience to our alumni. We offer associate’s degrees plus training in career fields including business, medical, law enforcement, welding, automotive, computers and more. Each semester $1,000 fee waiver scholarships are awarded to multiple international students! Scholarships are not awarded based on grades alone! Students will be asked to write an essay which describes, in detail, long-term personal and career objectives and must provide 2 letters of reference. For more information, please visit: http://bit.ly/nbwRyo AUGUSTANA COLLEGE MERIT- AND NEED-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS Augustana College welcomes students from all countries to study at our college. The friendly midwestern campus makes Augustana a great choice for international students seeking a top education in the United States. The following information will help you learn more about our campus and requirements for studying at Augustana College. Augustana College is still accepting applications from international students. Qualifying students can receive scholarships up to $17,000 USD per year. Need-based financial aid is also available. For more information, please visit: http://bit.ly/TFL3lR FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY GLOBAL ACHIEVEMENT SCHOLARSHIPS Over the past 30 years, Full Sail University has built a reputation as one of the premier art, music, and film schools in the world. Throughout the entertainment, media, and arts industry, Full Sail graduates have made their names working on award-winning films and albums, acclaimed video games and design projects, live productions, working inside major media companies, and more. Full Sail University offers scholarship opportunities for those who qualify. The Global Achievement Scholarship is designed to encourage and develop future international entertainment and media professionals throughout the world. Through this scholarship, eligible participants may receive up to $5,000 toward the tuition of their Full Sail campus degree program. Download the New Spring Scholarship Guide for more information at the link below. For more information, please visit: http://goo.gl/D1vgf                      WILLIAM & MARY LAW SCHOOL MERIT-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS Welcome to the College of William & Mary Law School's LL.M. Degree program! Our innovative LL.M. program is designed for foreign-educated students and attorneys who want a comprehensive overview of the American legal system. We have been welcoming students from all over the world, from France to China, Saudi Arabia to Thailand, since 1989. William & Mary Law School, the oldest law school in the United States, is currently accepting applications for admission to the LLM program in the American Legal System. Merit-based scholarships will be available for qualified applicants to the LLM class of 2014. For more information, please visit: http://bit.ly/XeN5qH UNIVERSITY OF HARTFORD SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION TEACHING INTERNSHIPS The graduate program in the School of Communication at the University of Hartford provides the opportunity for students to explore the field of communications from a variety of perspectives including integrated communication, human communication and media. Students also have the opportunity to participate in internships. Graduates from this program have gone on to Ph.D. programs and as well as working in corporate and non-profit communications. Unique to this program is the opportunity for students to teach and conduct research with faculty in the school as part of a teaching internship. Students who become teaching interns receive full tuition in addition to a small stipend of $6800 each year. Teaching internships have been awarded to international students from Romania, India, Spain, etc., and international students are encouraged to apply. For more information, please visit: http://bit.ly/Vw4pLX        BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY MBA ASSISTANTSHIPS The Full-Time MBA program at Bowling Green State University is an accelerated one-year program, regardless of a student's undergraduate major. Specialization, which take one additional semester to complete, are also an option. We offer Graduate Assistant (GA) positions based on merit. Well-qualified applicants will be considered for these positions which come with a scholarship and a stipend. GAs will work for the College of Business between 10-20 per week. For more information, please visit: http://bit.ly/Vw4OOy            OHIO UNIVERSITY EXTENDS UNDERGRADUATE APPLICATION DEADLINE Ohio University offers hundreds of academic choices to help you prepare for your future. Whether you're interested in video production, magazine journalism, teaching, environmental issues, the biology of dinosaurs, or the works of Shakespeare, OHIO has more than 250 undergraduate majors to match your interests! And if you're interested in graduate study, we also offer master's and doctoral degrees in a range of disciplines. Ohio University has extended the undergraduate application deadline for the 2013 fall semester. We can now accept online applications until March 1, 2013, and supplementary documents within the following two weeks. For more information, please visit: http://bit.ly/14htYAD            UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER WAIVES APPLICATION FEE A fully accredited, comprehensive university with a global reputation, the University of Colorado Denver is a great place to gain an exceptional education. Our exciting urban location near the beautiful Rocky Mountains gives students convenient access to internships, cultural and sporting events, and outdoor activities year-round. The University of Colorado Denver invites new applicants to apply for free! We will waive the $75 application fee for new applications submitted between today and February 15th. Interested applicants may visit internationaladmissions@ucdenver.edu to apply now. On the last page of the online application form applicants will need to select a payment method. For this invitation only, please select one of the following options to waive the application fee: Graduate Applicants: Select ‘Pay your application fee by check’ (but do not send a check!) Not available for all professional programs and already passed deadlines Undergraduate Applicants: Select ‘High School Counselor Waiver Form’ (but do not send a form!) Applying by February 15th will give applicants a few special advantages. If admitted: • Applicants will be able to apply for a variety of university scholarships (Eligibility Varies) • Undergraduates may be considered for admission to the University Honors and Leadership program • Applicants will have ample time to complete their US visa applications and make appointments for visa interviews For more information, please visit: http://bit.ly/WFJ38y       PAKISTAN NATIVE AND EASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY ALUMNA FINDS CAREER IN BROADCASTING Hands-on experience is vital to the development of broadcasting students, which is why 2005 graduate Sarah Zaman feels her time at WEIU-TV was so vital to jump-starting her professional career. Sarah Zaman, returned to campus in September to be honored as an EIU Global Ambassador. While back in Charleston, she took the opportunity to talk about her Eastern Illinois University experience, her work at WEIU-TV, and how it all led to her current job with Voice of America (VOA) in Washington, D.C. Zaman works for VOA’s Urdu television service; Urdu is the Pakistani national language. While she has worked as a news anchor in past VOA ventures, her current contract has her in a reporting and production role. For more information, please visit: http://bit.ly/XW8nIH                 NORTHWESTERN MICHIGAN COLLEGE INTERNATIONAL CLUB PARTICIPATES IN 'ONE BILLION RISING' One Billion Rising, a global movement to end violence against women and girls, will be marked locally by an open dance near the food court at the Grand Traverse Mall on Feb. 14. with several members of Northwestern Michigan College's International Club participating. NMC's Office of Student Life is leading Traverse City's participation in One Billion Rising. Internationally, the event is organized by V-Day, a non-profit that seeks to end violence against women worldwide. V-Day states that one in three women worldwide — or one billion — will be raped or beaten in her lifetime. On Feb. 14, one billion people will rise up, dance and demand an end to that violence. "Our students are very passionate about this issue and the event has gained almost instant support from everyone in our International Club," says Lindsey Dickinson, Advisor to the International Club. "This is the perfect example of the types of opportunities and experiences available to students at NMC and shows the level of involvement students have in this community." For more information, please visit: http://bit.ly/11o8Rht       BROWN UNIVERSITY RECEIVES MOST DIVERSE APPLICANT POOL IN HISTORY Brown received 28,807 applications for the Class of 2017, the third largest pool in University history. This year’s pool also set a record for the largest percentage of international applicants and applicants of color. The University will make offers of admission in late March. The University also saw its largest percentage of international applicants (17 percent — 4,783 — hailing from 145 nations, the largest number of countries ever represented in an applicant pool. Among international applicants, the University received a record number of applications from China and from India, the top two countries in the pool after the United States. Other countries with high numbers of applicants included Canada, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. For more information, please visit: http://bit.ly/VHISfU            PITTSBURG STATE UNIVERSITY HOSTS MINI-MBA PROGRAM Pittsburg State University's award-winning, AACSB International accredited College of Business is excited to host a short-term International Mini-MBA Certificate Program this summer on July 7-26, 2013. This program is uniquely designed to accommodate the international learner and is an introduction to the U.S. business environment presented by the faculty of PSU's business school. This program includes both on-campus lectures and off-campus field trips. This non-degree program is open to all students, both undergraduate and graduate, as well as professionals in the workforce. Students do not need to have a business degree to apply. The cost for the program is $2500 (US) which includes classes, field trips, housing, meals, health insurance, access to campus facilities, and airport pick-up. For more information, please visit: http://bit.ly/11C2sPX If you live in the Eastern Caribbean (to include: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominca, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines) please call Information Resource Associate Juanita Lynch at the U.S. Embassy in Bridgetown at 246-227-4102 or email bridgetownpublicaffairs@state.gov.

Prison Emergency Response Training Program at HMP Dodds

President Obama’s Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) is an initiative founded on the idea of true partnership between the United States and the countries of the Caribbean under which we have agreed to share the responsibility for implementing our common vision for a safer, more prosperous Caribbean region.  Under CBSI, the United States and our Caribbean partners have pledged to seek durable security solutions through sustainable programs over which our regional partners take eventual ownership. 

The objective of the $1.45 million CBSI corrections program is to increase the capacity of the governments in the Eastern Caribbean to operate prison systems, which are safe, secure, humane, and in conformance with international standards and best practices.

From February 4 – 13, 2013, three senior members of the Rhode Island Department of Corrections Mobile Training Team will train 27 corrections officers from throughout the Eastern Caribbean in a Prison Emergency Response Training Program at Her Majesty’s Prison, Dodds.

Director of the Narcotics Affairs Section, Kurt van der Walde, speaking at the opening of the 10-day emergency response training workshop at HMP Dodds.  

This training is integral to citizen security in our shared Caribbean home and it complements much of the other efforts we are making through CBSI.  The ability to respond appropriately to prison emergencies is an important component of an effective correctional system. This training is designed to enhance the operational capacity in this key area.  

Corrections officers from Barbados, St. Kitts, St. Vincent & the Grenadines and Grenada who will be participating in the training exercise.

In addition, sustainability is perhaps the key goal for us under CBSI.  This training module incorporates Train- the- Trainer concepts that will help the participants to return to their home country with the capacity to conduct further training for their colleagues in this area with minimal assistance.

Our hope is that by bringing together dedicated correctional officers from throughout the region for this training that they will be able to work together to build strong regional partnerships, share best practices with one another, and advance citizen security in the Caribbean.”