Marshall Islands: US Embassy Announces Junior Statesmen Scholarships

For the past nineteen years, the U.S. Department of Interior has offered full tuition and transportation scholarships to the Junior Statesmen Summer School to outstanding high school students in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the CNMI, Guam, Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia and American Samoa; four scholarships per insular area. This is the first year that scholarships have been available to students in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Karen Prosser, a Junior Statesmen Foundation representative, will be in Majuro from Saturday, February 20, to Friday, February 26, to recruit outstanding students for the summer school and DOI scholarships.

During her visit, Ms. Prosser will meet with interested students and parents. Darlene Korok, Cultural Affairs Specialist at the U.S. Embassy in Majuro is coordinating the program for the Marshall Islands.

Students who would like to meet with Ms. Prosser for an admissions interview may call Ms. Korok at the U.S. Embassy +690-247-4011 to set up an appointment. Student should bring a copy of their high school transcripts and a letter of recommendation from a teacher or counselor to the interview. Acceptance decisions will be announced at the end of the interviews.

BACKGROUND

High school student leaders, grades 9-11, are encouraged to apply for one of four full scholarships being offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) to attend a Junior Statesmen Summer School session in the States. The scholarships cover all tuition costs and round trip transportation to the Summer School of the students’ choice.

Summer school students take exciting college level courses in government and speech while they develop and polish their leadership skills. Three-week sessions of the Junior Statesmen Summer School are conducted on the university campuses of Stanford University (near San Francisco), Princeton University (near New York), and Georgetown University (in Washington, DC).

Highlighting each summer school session is a high-level speakers program that gives students a chance to meet and question elected officials, judges, reporters, political campaign consultants, and others in the political arena. Each night, summer school students debate controversial political issues in a simulation of Congress.

Admission to the summer school is competitive. Admission decisions are based on an applicant's academic achievement, leadership, and interest in politics or government. To apply, students submit a copy of their high school grades, an essay, and a letter of recommendation from a counselor or teacher.

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APPLICATION

For those students who do not receive one of the four full scholarships, tuition, which covers all academic expenses, housing and meals for the month, will be approximately $4,500. Transportation to the school is not included in the tuition.

The postmarked deadline for applications for the scholarships is Friday, March 12, 2010.

For more information about Junior Statesmen Summer School and DOI scholarships, please contact Ms. Korok at the U.S. Embassy at +690-247-4011.

You may find more information on the summer school at www.jsa.org/summer

- US Embassy Majuro, Marshall Islands