U.S. Department of State Hosts Study Abroad Advisors Workshop at TU Today
Today, Towson University is proud to host a daylong workshop for approximately 50 study abroad advisors on best practices in supporting candidates for two prestigious U.S. Department of State programs, the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program and the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program. This workshop is part of the State Department’s continuing efforts to build study abroad advising capacity across the country and to diversify the institutions and students participating in the Gilman and CLS Programs. The University of Alabama hosted a previous workshop in Alabama in June, and Grand Valley State University will host a third workshop in Michigan in September.
Workshop attendees will share best practices and successful strategies for promoting the Gilman and CLS Programs, supporting applicants, engaging with alumni upon program completion, and leveraging alumni for recruitment and promotion. The workshop will also provide advisors with in-depth resources for the Gilman and CLS Programs, as well as build and strengthen the Gilman and CLS advisor networks for future sharing of resources and best practices.
“Ensuring that more of our future leaders, who reflect the rich diversity of our country, have the access and opportunity to study abroad is a strategic imperative for the United States,” said Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Marie Royce. “We are grateful to all of you for the outstanding work you do to support American students traveling overseas from your campuses.”
The Gilman and CLS Programs are programs of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, with funding provided by the U.S. Government. The Gilman Program provides over 3,000 scholarships a year to outstanding American undergraduate students who, due to financial constraints, might not otherwise study abroad. The Gilman Program is supported in its implementation by the Institute of International Education. The CLS Program provides fully funded overseas opportunities for 550 exceptional American undergraduate and graduate students to study one of 15 languages that are critical to national security and economic prosperity. The CLS Program is supported in its implementation by American Councils for International Education.
For further information about the Gilman Program, CLS Program, and other exchange programs of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, please contact ECA-Press@state.gov and visit our website at https://studyabroad.state.gov/.
For further information on study abroad programs and opportunities at Towson University or for copies of today’s presentation and workshop materials, contact the TU Study Abroad Office at studyabroad@towson.edu.
Categorised in: General
This post was written by Villamar, Katherine H.