Community Partners with a Global Vision

University of Maryland students to serve as International Ambassadors
courtesy of the Office of Prince George's County Executive

PGCIA Scholarship winner Laurie-Anne Sayles with Christopher Lester, Ph.D., director of UM's Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Education and PGCIA Advisory Council member

This is the second cohort for the PGCIA Study Abroad program, which is administered by the Global Diversity Leadership Institute (GDLI) within the International Center for Transcultural Education at Maryland's College of Education. The Office of the County Executive (OCE) of Prince George's County provided initial funding for the pilot in 2008-09, supporting eight scholarships valued between $1000 to $1500. Funding is currently being sought to continue this unique program for the 2009-10 academic year.

The scholarships are part of a joint effort by OCE and GDLI to expand global literacy among Prince George's County students who are underrepresented (i.e., students of color and those with high financial needs) in college study abroad programs.

"Study abroad in college is the best time to experience the world, yet few of our students do so," said P. Bai Akridge, Ph.D., GDLI director and a member of the PGCIA Scholarship Selection Committee. "African-American, Hispanic-American, Native American students and those with high financial needs ought to take advantage of scholarship opportunities to study abroad in order to gain the foreign language skills and international perspectives required to operate successfully in today's global marketplace. If our students are to serve as tomorrow's leaders, they must gain exposure to the world today."

The first cohort of five student ambassadors completed study trips to South Africa, El Salvador, France and Chile. This summer's scholarship winners will travel to Jamaica and Spain:

UM juniors Wendy Recinos and Elizabeth Thorpe will be international ambassadors for Prince George's County

As a part of their award, the student ambassadors have a community service obligation to share their experiences through outreach activities in public schools, service as mentors to college-bound high-school students, and/or as volunteers in internationally-oriented organizations in Prince George's County.

According to Ola Hill, director of Community Affairs for Prince George's County Executive and a member of the PGCIA Scholarship Selection Committee, "The vested interest the County is making in our youth today will certainly provide future educational dividends, such as more young, internationally-oriented role models serving our schools and community."

To learn more about the PGCIA Study Abroad Scholarship program, contact GDLI Director P. Bai Akridge, Ph.D., at 301.442.6732 (Phone); 301.336.1020 (Fax), or email pbai@umd.edu. Further information is also available on Maryland's International Programs Study Abroad website: www.international.umd.edu/studyabroad/6190

About the College of Education

The College of Education at the University of Maryland provides research- and practice-oriented programs through its seven departments: Counseling and Personnel Services; Curriculum and Instruction; Education Policy Studies; Education Leadership, Higher Education and International Education; Human Development; Measurement, Statistics and Evaluation and Special Education. College programs prepare students to be educators, counselors, psychologists, administrators, researchers, and educational specialists. Graduates work with individuals from infancy through adulthood in schools, community agencies, colleges and universities. Educational programs are accredited and approved by the following: National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, Maryland State Department of Education, American Psychological Association, Council on Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Professions, and Council on Rehabilitation Education. The college is ranked among the top 25 colleges of education in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. www.education.umd.edu