By Mary Poni
50 students are set to benefit from the English course program. The fifty students drawn from Wau and Juba will go for a two-year language proficiency training in a program termed English Access Micro Scholarship Programs (EAMSP) in Juba and Wau consecutively.
The program is implemented by the United States Embassy. Twenty-five students from Juba will receive their training at the American Corner at the University of Juba.
Meanwhile, Community Empowerment for Sustainable Development organization (CESD) will implement half of the Program for the remaining 25 students at the University of Bahr el Ghazal in Wau.
According to the U.S. Department of State, the Access program will provide secondary school students with two years of high-quality English language education that will build and refine language skills for academic and professional success.
U.S. Ambassador to South Sudan Michael J. Adler described the Access program as one of several U.S. Embassy programs designed to offer practical skills and training to South Sudanese youth.
“The EAMSP) program provides exposure to American culture and values through a dynamic program of classroom instruction and extracurricular enrichment activities,” Adler said in a press statement extended to No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper.
The training consists of strengthening language skills through learning in English language courses, out-of-classroom activities, and enhancement elements. It is a micro scholarship Program that provides a great opportunity for the 50 young people who will benefit from this program,” he explained.
“We have recruited gender parity to ensure that girls have equal opportunities through the Access program that can lead to further educational and professional opportunities,” he further clarified.
According to him, in addition to English language and American culture, activities such as drama, computers, dance, art, music, games, sports, local field trips, special cultural projects such as celebrating the American Independence Day, and/or events meant to develop leadership skills, build the spirit of teamwork, and promote social responsibility and tolerance is also included.
During the two-year program, the students will strengthen their communication capabilities, in addition to developing other important skills including public speaking, technology training, and leadership,” the US diplomat noted.
He Michael said the U.S. government’s support of the Access program in South Sudan demonstrates his government’s commitment to equipping youth with skills needed to build brighter futures.
Approximately 200,000 students in more than 90 countries have graduated from the English Access Micro Scholarship Program since its inception in 2004 according to the US Department of State.
The first iteration of the Access program in South Sudan was conducted in August 2021 in Juba. It consisted of 25 students then. The launch of the program in Wau was done on December 16, meanwhile that in Juba was launched on December 28.