MSU picked as site for State Department summer program for international high school students

montana.edu

Image from article, with caption: A group of high school students from Okinawa participate in leadership training on the MSU campus last summer. MSU, which has become a popular location for international programs, was selected by the U.S. Department of State for the prestigious EducationUSA Academy program. Fifteen high school students will be on campus from July 10-Aug. Photo by Josh Iverson courtesy of MSU Office of International Programs.

Montana State University has been chosen by the U.S. Department of State to host 15 high-achieving international high school students this coming summer.

MSU’s Office of International Programs is among a handful of organizations selected by the State Department and its cooperative partner, World Learning, to host an EducationUSA Academy, to be held at MSU from July 10-Aug. 4.

While at MSU, the students, aged 15-17, will take intensive courses in the English language, college preparatory and leadership courses and will participate in cross-cultural activities and tours of the area, including Yellowstone National Park and other attractions.

“We’re honored to have been selected to participate in this highly competitive program. The EducationUSA Academy will provide an excellent opportunity to raise MSU’s international profile and to recruit students from countries traditionally underrepresented on our campus,” said David Di Maria, MSU’s associate provost for international programs.

Di Maria said that MSU has established a strong reputation for excellence in summer student exchange programs. The university is in its 18th year of hosting the Middle East Partnership Initiative Student Leaders Program, called MEPI. The program is a U.S. State Department public diplomacy initiative focused on the Middle East and North Africa that brings high-achieving students from countries in that region to the U.S. to learn about leadership and American culture and lifestyles. Last summer, MSU also hosted the Chinese University of Geosciences, the Okinawa Global Leadership Program and the Japanese Long Term Professional Educators Program, which is called the LEAP program.

“Montana State University serves as a global gateway for our state by facilitating programs that support the development of academic, business and cultural exchanges between Montana and the world,” Di Maria said about the programs.

He said the purpose of the MSU-based programs is to help prepare students for today’s globalized economy and societies, developing the relationships between people and communities in the United States and around the world that are necessary to solve global challenges.

The U.S. Department of State’s EducationUSA advising network includes more than 400 advising centers in over 170 countries around the world that provide prospective international students with accurate, current and comprehensive information about U.S. higher education while supporting U.S. institutions’ international student recruitment efforts. International education prepares students for today’s globalized economy and societies, developing the relationships between people and communities in the United States and around the world that are necessary to solve global challenges.

For more information, contact the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at ECA-Press@state.gov or Janelle Rasmussen at jrasmussen@montana.edu. Or, follow the program on Facebook and Twitter at #EdUSAAcademy.

Janelle Rasmussen (406) 994-7602, jrasmussen@montana.edu