WEB NEWS RELEASE
2009-10 PGCIA Scholarship winners (beginning 2nd from left), Brittanie Bell-Handy, Reuben Amlalo, Oanh Nguyen,
Teonna Lonon, and Janine Hernandez-Diaz with PGCIA Director Bai Akridge, Ph.D. (left) and Professor Barbara Finkelstein, ICTE Director (right).
COLLEGE PARK, MD (April 2010) - On Thursday, April 22, Prince George's County Executive Jack Johnson will host a special reception for University of Maryland students who recently completed or are entering the Prince George's County International Ambassador (PGCIA) Study Abroad Scholarships Program.
Now in its second year, the PGCIA Program supports current Maryland students, who graduated from Prince George's County high schools, in obtaining learning experiences abroad. It targets participants who are underrepresented in study abroad programs, such as students of color and those with financial need.
Administered by the Global Diversity Leadership Institute (GDLI) within the International Center for Transcultural Education at Maryland's College of Education, the Program has made it possible to date for 17 students to study all over the world and develop the global literacy skills required to be successful in the 21st Century. Funding for the need-based scholarships is provided primarily by the Office of the County Executive (OCE) of Prince George's County, with additional support from the University of Maryland. As part of the Program, scholarship recipients also share their experiences with current Prince George's County Public Schools students to encourage them to attend college and study abroad.
"Supporting the PGCIA Study Abroad Scholarships Program will open many doors for our students and further enhance their abilities to compete and do business in our evolving global market," said Johnson. He added that "the upcoming reception will serve as a meet and greet for these dynamic students who completed trips to Jamaica, Spain, Thailand and Vietnam, France, Egypt, and Israel, and those who will travel this summer to Denmark, Greece, Brazil and France. Graduating seniors will also be recognized for their accomplishments."
WHAT:
Student/parent reception for University of Maryland students completing and entering
the Prince George's County International Ambassador Study Abroad Program, hosted
by the Prince George's County Executive's Office
WHEN:
Thursday, April 22, 2010, 3:00 p.m.
WHERE:
County Administration Building, 14741 Governor Oden Bowie Drive,
1st Floor Media Conference Room, Upper Marlboro, Md. 20772
To learn more about the PGCIA 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
-end-
For more information on the College of Education, visit: www.education.umd.edu
or contact
Halima Cherif, Assistant Director for Communications, at: hcherif@umd.edu
