Institute for Training & Development, Amherst, MA (ITD)
Western Hemisphere Winter Institute - 413 256.1925 www.itd-amherst.org
Contact: Kaye Dougan, Office Manager
ITD, once again will host the program “Study of the U.S. Institutes for Western Hemisphere Student Leaders” in January/February 2010, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
An important component of the ITD Winter institute is spending a weekend with a local family. The homestay weekend is scheduled for January 29-30 or January 30-31. Students enjoy immensely their interaction with local families. They particularly enjoy sharing their culture with American families and discussing the differences and similarities between the two. Meeting their homestay family is usually one of the highlights of their time here in the US.
This winter’s group will be comprised of students from Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay. The students are all English speakers. They are highly motivated university students who have gone through a competitive application process to be selected to be a part of this U.S. State Department sponsored Winter Institute. The students’ fields of study include Business Administration, International Relations, Economics, Education, Law, Communication Studies, Accounting, and Social Work. Many are very active in community projects and social justice activities outside the university and are eager to practice their English.
The overall purpose of the six week exchange program is to provide undergraduate student leaders from Latin America with a deeper understanding of the U.S., while at the same time enhancing their leadership and collective problem-solving skills. The Winter Institute consists of a challenging academic component (led by Prof. Javier Corrales, Political Science, Amherst College), a leadership skills component, community service activities, and a 1½ -week study tour to Tucson, AZ and Washington, D.C.
Please consider hosting one or two student leaders for an overnight. Past experience has shown the weekend exchange to be mutually rewarding for both students and families. In many cases students have stayed in touch with their U.S. host families long after returning to their home countries. If you would like more information about hosting a student or the Winter Institute, please call Kaye Dougan at 413.256.1925 or email at: kaye@itd-amherst.org.
This is an excellent opportunity to experience a cross-cultural exchange with great student leaders from Latin America.
