Now Accepting Applications:

The McConnell Foundation Study Abroad in Laos Fellowship Summer Study Abroad in Laos  

A  five-­‐week  cultural  emersion  program  in  Vientiane,  Lao  PDR  June  22-­‐August  1,  2016  

 

Offered by the Center for Lao Studies

Embark on the life changing experience of cultural emersion in Laos!

Application Deadline: Feb. 26th, 2016

Find details of the SAIL Program at: www.laostudies.org/sail

Selected Fellowship applicants will receive full scholarship for the SAIL program tuition and a stipend for travel expenses. Qualifying Applicants must: • Be of or between the ages of 16 – 22 • A resident of Shasta County (you or your parents

must currently live in Shasta County) • Submit the completed application to The McConnell

Foundation by February 26th, 2016 This Fellowship is targeting heritage students - descendants of refugees from Laos - but anyone with passion and commitment to learn Lao and/or Lao ethnic group languages, and Lao history and culture, is encouraged to apply. Applications are available online at: www.mcconnellfoundation.org/international and at: www.northstateschorarships.communityforce.com The SAIL Program includes: • An option to earn 10 college credits through NIU • History and Culture course • Daily Lao language instruction • Participation in the 2016 Lao Studies Conference held

at Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand • Volunteer opportunities in Laos • Village visits and overnight stays and excursions to

culturally significant sights

MCCONNELL  SAIL  FELLOWSHIP   The McConnell Foundation is sponsoring a delegation from Shasta County to participate in the 2016 Summer Study Abroad in Laos program, organized by the Center for Lao Studies and hosted by the Lao-American College in Vientiane, Lao PDR.  

The McConnell Foundation has operated grant programs in Laos since 2006. Our decision to provide aid to rural and underprivileged citizens in Laos was made in no small part due to the significant population of people from Laos who live in the North State. This study abroad opportunity will allow our North State residents a way to engage directly with our philanthropy in Laos and to benefit from the connections made over the years between The McConnell Foundation and other organizations working in Laos.

The SAIL program is offered annually by the Center for Lao Studies, a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco. The McConnell Foundation is offering sponsorship for a select number of youth applicants from Shasta County in order to: • Increase our local community’s awareness of the diverse

cultures of peoples from Laos; • Provide a mechanism for descendants of refugees from

Laos to learn their heritage and the stories of their elders; • And to help preserve the language and culture of the Lao

diaspora and minority ethnic groups of Laos.

 

Artwork  by  Nor  Sanavongsay  

Summer Study Abroad in Laos

June 22 – August 1, 2016

The McConnell Foundation Study Abroad in Laos Fellowship* applications are available online at:

www.mcconnellfoundation.org/international and at: www.northstatescholarships.communityforce.com

*To apply for The McConnell Foundation Fellowship, which covers expenses of SAIL tuition and travel for successful applicants, be sure to apply directly at the site mentioned above. If you apply for the SAIL program on the Center for Lao Studies website, you will not be applying for the McConnell Fellowship.

Fellowship Applications due by February 26th, 2016 SAIL Program information available at: www.laostudies.org/sail

For questions about the SAIL program, contact: The Center for Lao Studies   Tel: (415) 874-5578 Email: sail@laostudies.org

For questions about The McConnell Foundation Study Abroad in Laos Fellowship, contact: Jesica Rhone, Director of International Programs Email: jrhone@mcconnellfoundation.org www.mcconnellfoundation.org/international

SAIL ACADEMIC PROGRAM LAO-AMERICAN COLLEGE Located in Vientiane, Lao-American College offers a unique instructional and service program. Intensive courses combined with individual language tutorials, diversified field trips, access to local University students, and experienced on-site staff, make Lao-American an incredible place to study Lao and learn cross-cultural skills. http://www.lac.edu.la

COLLEGE CREDITS For satisfactory participation in the program, participants can receive 10 semester hours of undergraduate credits at Northern Illinois University. Students interested in earning college credits for participating in the SAIL program must indicate so in their application to The McConnell Foundation. Students will be responsible for completing the necessary paperwork and applications. The Center for Lao Studies can provide guidance in that process. Follow the link below for instructions on applying for credit through Northern Illinois University: http://niu.studioabroad.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgram&Program_ID=27223

LAO LANGUAGE TRAINING Language classes are held five times a week for 3 hours by professors from the National University of Laos. SAIL students are enrolled in beginning, intermediate, or advanced (heritage) class. Students may also practice conversation with students at Lao American College arranged as Language Partners. HISTORY AND CULTURE CLASS To augment your practical knowledge of the country, 4 hours a week will be spent learning about Lao history and culture from academics and professionals working in Laos. Lao and international professors, scholars and leaders in their field will rotate teaching the class, with lessons conducted both in the classroom, and around Vientiane when appropriate. All courses will be taught in English. TRIPS AND ACTIVITIES An in-country Program Leader will familiarize you with the area upon your arrival in the capital, including how to take a tuk-tuk or Jumbo, where to find the best iced-coffee, navigating the Talat Xao or “Morning Market” and locating services such as ATM machines and money exchangers. Excursions to many of Laos’ most important places help you gain a deeper understanding of Lao culture and history. Sample activities in and around Vientiane include: visit to the quirky and mystical Buddha park; tour of the Phra That Luang Stupa and Ho Phrakeo (Emerald Buddha temple); and participation in a customary Sukhwan or Baci ceremony. Longer weekend trips include an overnight village stay where participants will learn how to make traditional handicrafts and live in traditional Lao housing. A highlight is an extended weekend trip to one of Laos’ Northwest or Southern provinces, such as a tour of the former royal capital and UNESCO World Heritage City, Luang Prabang, or to see the mysterious Plain of Jars in Xiang Khouang province. VOLUNTEER PROGRAM SAIL participants can spend between four and ten hours a week volunteering at a local institution, if they so choose. Opportunities can include English tutoring to National Library or Lao-American College staff, or working with children at a Development Center. Volunteer placements will be dependent on the needs of the organization, and on the skills and interests of the SAIL participants.

Connecting People and Cultures