Parkland CCID program reaches out to foreign students
Aliya Prescott
Issue date: 3/4/09 Section: News
Remember in high school when you first met the new foreign exchange student from another country? Now there is a program for students from other countries to come to the United States to attend community colleges. It is called the Community College Initiative Program (CCI).
The CCI program originated at the January 2006 Presidents Summit on International Education. CCI provides funding to support students to study at community colleges in the United States, and is a cooperative agreement between Community Colleges for International Development (CCID) and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The program has been ongoing for two years and is part of a three year plan. Eligible students are recruited by Fullbright Commissions and U.S. Public Affairs offices in their home countries.
The students in this program come from a limited number of countries. Currently, at Parkland there are sixteen students from Brazil, South Africa, Egypt, Turkey, and Indonesia. A large portion of Parkland students in the program come from Brazil. Students are placed from countries our government considers stable democracies with developing economies. In the third year of the program more countries will be included.
Students must only be from certain countries and at Parkland they have to pick an area of study in Computer Science Information Technology (CSIT). Other community college participants can study in fields including agriculture, business management and administration, tourism and hospitality management, and information technology. The purpose for the CCID program is to provide students with jobs skills that will help them develop the economy in their home countries. Once students have graduated with a one-year certificate (or a two-year degree), they will return home to use these new skills.
In order to be eligible for the CCI program each student must have graduated from a secondary education. They need to have English skills, which includes six months of advanced English classes. The student also needs some work experience in the field they are entering. Lastly, they must submit a complete application and complete two institutional tests within the last two years.
The CCI program originated at the January 2006 Presidents Summit on International Education. CCI provides funding to support students to study at community colleges in the United States, and is a cooperative agreement between Community Colleges for International Development (CCID) and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The program has been ongoing for two years and is part of a three year plan. Eligible students are recruited by Fullbright Commissions and U.S. Public Affairs offices in their home countries.
The students in this program come from a limited number of countries. Currently, at Parkland there are sixteen students from Brazil, South Africa, Egypt, Turkey, and Indonesia. A large portion of Parkland students in the program come from Brazil. Students are placed from countries our government considers stable democracies with developing economies. In the third year of the program more countries will be included.
Students must only be from certain countries and at Parkland they have to pick an area of study in Computer Science Information Technology (CSIT). Other community college participants can study in fields including agriculture, business management and administration, tourism and hospitality management, and information technology. The purpose for the CCID program is to provide students with jobs skills that will help them develop the economy in their home countries. Once students have graduated with a one-year certificate (or a two-year degree), they will return home to use these new skills.
In order to be eligible for the CCI program each student must have graduated from a secondary education. They need to have English skills, which includes six months of advanced English classes. The student also needs some work experience in the field they are entering. Lastly, they must submit a complete application and complete two institutional tests within the last two years.
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