UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Scholarships are now available for area high school students and Pennsylvania college students who plan to study the Arabic language this summer at the Language Institute of Penn State.
In the intensive, four-week STARTALK Arabic Academy program, which meets Monday through Friday from June 11 to July 8, students can complete the equivalent of a full semester's study of Arabic and receive four academic credits for Penn State's Arabic 001 course. Morning classes are enhanced by activities including a twice-weekly afternoon immersion session and email or video partnerships with students in Morocco who speak Arabic and are learning English.
Interested students should submit their applications soon in order to be considered for 15 to 20 scholarships. Application forms and further information are available at http://www.outreach.psu.edu/language-institute/. A federal grant received by Penn State's Department of Comparative Literature, in the School of Languages and Literatures, will provide scholarship funding for high school students who live near tbe University Park campus and for students attending Penn State and other Pennsylvania colleges and universities.
The scholarships will pay for up to 90 percent of in-state tuition fees at the University. In addition, other scholarships are available for high school and college students who wish to study Turkish, Chinese, Korean or Russian this summer at the Language Institute at Penn State.
Caroline D. Eckhardt, director of the School of Languages and Literatures, explained that STARTALK ("Start Talking") is a national initiative that supports creative and engaging summer experiences for students, with the goal of expanding critical language skills. In addition to this summer program for high school and college students, Penn State's STARTALK Arabic Academy includes a professional seminar for teachers.
"Knowledge of a critical language such as Arabic can be a great asset on college, graduate school and job applications, and invaluable in exploring career interests and broadening your horizons," said Eckhardt.