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Mesa Community College’s International Education Department is pleased to announce that MCC is the recipient of a State Department sub- grant that will enable the college to host 14 students from Indonesia, South Africa, Egypt, Pakistan, India and Kenya. The students will study at MCC beginning in July of 2013, as part of the Community College Initiative Program.
The program, and MCC’s part, is funded by a $4.22 million grant that was awarded to the Community College Consortium to host 112 students from underserved communities in selected developing countries to attend consortium schools. The Community College Consortium is an association of some of the largest community college systems located in Virginia, Arizona, California and Florida, and which includes the Maricopa County Community College District. The principal focus of the association is to help nations across the globe realize the importance of community colleges as a prime motivator and initiator of higher education and to collaborate on grant initiatives that will bring students from abroad to consortium institutions to study.
The grant program was proposed under the theme, “Building Global Trust through Education at American Community Colleges” and is comprised of academic course work, cultural enrichment and exchange activities, and mandatory community service. Known as the Global Trust Program, this initiative offers underserved and non-elite students from developing countries the opportunity to study in the U.S. under J-1 Visas. A J-1 Visa offers cultural and educational exchange opportunities in the U.S. through a variety of programs overseen by the U.S. State Department. MCC is one of two Maricopa Community College grant recipients. The grant is being administered by Northern Virginia Community College.
“The Global Trust Program will increase cross-cultural exchanges between International and American students, and with the community in Mesa,” said Annique Nestmann, Director International Education MCC. “More importantly, it will facilitate diversity opportunities of civic engagement and global learning for all students at MCC."
The students in the program are already professionals in their field in their home countries. They will come to learn more about their chosen field and return back home to contribute to the economic growth and development of their countries, and serve as good will ambassadors of the U.S.
MCC has been chosen for the disciplines of Business, and Early Childhood Education. Scottsdale Community College is also a part of this initiative and has been hosting students in Hospitality & Tourism, and Media for several years. Grant students will complete 100 hours of community service while here, and serve in an internship, in addition to taking classes in ESL and their respective disciplines. The group will study at MCC until May 2014. All of their tuition and living expenses are paid for by the State Department grant and the host institutions make in-kind contributions, mostly through the work of the faculty and staff that work with the students.
About Mesa Community College
Mesa Community College provides outstanding transfer and career and technical programs, workforce development, and life-long learning opportunities to residents of the East Valley area of Phoenix, Arizona. MCC excels in teaching, learning and empowering its more than 40,000 students to succeed in a local and global community. Mesa Community College is one of ten colleges that comprise the Maricopa County Community College District.
Please direct media inquiries to Sally Mesarosh at mesarosh@mesacc.edu or the Office of Institutional Advancement at 480-461-7445. IA website: www.mesacc.edu/ia.