Pakistani Students learn English with United States Support

Islamabad, May 30, 2013 (PPI-OT): One hundred and twenty Pakistani students graduated today from a US sponsored English language training initiative called the English Access Microscholarship Program. Over the past two years, these students participated in 576 hours of after-school classes coordinated by the READ Foundation.

“The United States government funds comprehensive education programs that will help millions of Pakistanis unlock their full potential. Our funding of the English Access Microscholarship Program is an example of this assistance,” said Joëlle Uzarski, Director of the Regional English Language Office at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad. “We are proud of the accomplishments of these students and their teachers.”

The United States operates the world’s largest English Access Microscholarship Program in Pakistan, teaching English to 5,000 14- to 18-year old students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The students learn English by participating in after-school classes and intensive summer learning activities, leading to better jobs and educational opportunities. Since its inception in 2004, over 95,000 students in more than 85 countries have participated in the Access Program.

The English Access Microscholarship Program is one component of the comprehensive U.S. education assistance program for Pakistan, which includes operating the world’s highest-funded Fulbright exchange program, building or rehabilitating more than 850 schools, and establishing Centers for Advanced Study at three Pakistani universities to focus on applied research in energy, agriculture, and water.

For more information about the English Access Microscholarship Program, see: http://exchanges.state.gov/non-us/program/english-access-microscholarship-program. For information about U.S. initiatives to teach English worldwide, including access to materials for teachers and students, see http://americanenglish.state.gov. To learn more about U.S. education initiatives in Pakistan, see: http://goo.gl/auHXF.

For more information, contact:
Alberto Rodriguez
Spokesman
Information Office Public Affairs Section
Embassy of the United States of America
U.S. Embassy, Islamabad- Pakistan
Cell: +92300 501 2640
Tel: +9251-208 0000
Fax: +9251-227 8607
E-mail: webmasterisb@state.gov