Delaware Diplomats deadline
September 14, 2016
IGS invites undergrads to apply for Delaware Diplomats by Sept. 15
The University of Delaware Institute for Global Studies’ Delaware Diplomats Program is now accepting applications for the 2016-17 year.
Undergraduate freshmen, sophomores and juniors are invited to apply online by Thursday, Sept. 15.
Founded in 2014, the Delaware Diplomats Program allows students the opportunity to earn up to $1,500 in scholarship for UD study abroad programs by participating in on-campus events with an international focus.
“The great thing about the Delaware Diplomats Program is that it is achieving multiple goals simultaneously,” said Rachel Garcia, program co-director. “It provides scholarship money for students that may not have been able to study abroad otherwise. It helps IGS reach its mission of creating more educated and engaged global citizens, and it gives the Diplomats an opportunity to interact with international students in meaningful ways.”
According to Garcia, interaction with UD’s more than 4,000 international community members has become a major component of the program. "One of the statistics that really motivates us is that 40 percent of international students on campuses report that they have no close friends among domestic classmates,” she said. “This program sets out to make an impact on that reality and provide opportunities for meaningful global engagement.”
Delaware Diplomats are connected by their interest in expanding their knowledge of the world. By taking a global approach to their undergraduate careers, the students are better prepared to solve global challenges both in the classroom and after graduating from UD.
In addition to attending University-sponsored events, diplomats also receive support in planning and executing their own globally-focused programming.
Altogether, Delaware Diplomats have attended or hosted global and diversity-driven events 1,390 times since 2014.
Abi Vanover, an Honors Program student, energy and environmental policy major and Delaware Diplomat Leadership Council Member, said she has gained more from the program than she originally imagined.
"I joined the Delaware Diplomats for the opportunity of earning my way to a study abroad program," she said, adding, "As you go through the program, you learn what preconceptions you hold about other cultures and it challenges you to reevaluate them."
According to study abroad coordinator Matt Drexler, the students’ energy is contagious. “They are a source of wonderful ideas and a deep passion for the UD and global community,” he said. “In international education we toss around the concept of ‘global citizenship.’ It’s hard to define, but you know it when you see it. I’m lucky enough to see it every day in the Delaware Diplomats.”
Although diplomats may earn up to $1,500 in study abroad scholarship awards, students decide how much or how little they wish to be involved. “The fact that the Delaware Diplomats relies on your own engagement level and initiative appealed to me,” said Vanover. “This program is what you make of it.”
For more information on becoming a Delaware Diplomat, visit the program website, contact Rachel Garcia or follow and engage on Instagram and Twitter @UDGlobal and by using the hashtag #UDiplomat.
About the Institute for Global Studies
The Institute for Global Studies was created in 2009 to enhance the international dimensions of teaching, research and outreach at the University of Delaware. IGS provides leadership and support for programs and experiences that contribute to the education of informed, skilled, open-minded citizens of the world.
Best known for coordinating the University’s study abroad program, IGS also awards scholarships and grants to faculty and students for a number of global opportunities, and administers internationally-recognized State Department-sponsored programs such as the UD Fulbright Initiative, Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Student Leaders Institute, Mandela Washington Fellowship Program for Young African Leaders, and most recently the Study of the U.S. Institutes for Student Leaders on Women’s Leadership (SUSI-WL) program.
IGS sponsors such signature events as Global Month each fall and country-specific celebrations each spring.
IGS collaborates with other global partners on campus, including the Office for International Students and Scholars, the Confucius Institute and the Center for Global and Area Studies. In addition, IGS partners with Enrollment Management to coordinate the UD World Scholars Program.
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