MEPI

MEPI Initiative for Undergraduate Student Leaders

he Public Affairs Office of the U.S. Embassy in the State of Qatar is pleased to announce the MEPI Study of the United States Institute for Graduating High School Seniors.

The program intended for student at the third/final year of the secondary school. The program will include an academic residential component of approximately four weeks, complemented by U.S. domestic travel component that will conclude with a 3-4 day program in Washington, D.C.

Each of the 2 “MEPI study of the U.S. Program for Undergraduate Student Leaders” will be organized as an integrated series of lectures, readings, discussions, leadership and skills development sessions and site visits. Each program will be designed to illuminate the history and evolution of U.S. society and institutions, broadly defined.

Program participants will have opportunities to interact with their U.S. peers and other U.S. audiences. The U.S. colleges, universities or other educational institutions selected to host the programs will take steps to enable students, continuing connections and information exchange. The bureau for Educational and Cultural Affairs at the Department of States (ECA) will take the lead role, in collaboration with the U.S. host institutions, in organizing an alumni workshop or series of workshops for the program participants at a site or sites to be determined in the Middle East/North Africa region within one year of the programs. The costs of the program and the alumni workshop(s), including participants, travel expenses, will be entirely covered out of MEPI funds.

Ideal candidates for the MEPI Study of the United States Program for Graduating High School Seniors should:

1. Be highly motivated and exemplary first or second –year undergraduate students from local colleges, universities, or teacher-training institutes
2. Be 18-21 years of age 
3. Be committed to returning to their home college or university in fall 2004 (upon completion of the program);
4. Exhibit leadership potential, both at their home college/university and in future pursuits;
5. Have a serious interest in learning about the United States from both historical and contemporary perspectives;
6. Have a sustained high level of academic achievement;
7. Have a demonstrated involvement in community and extracurricular activities;
8. Be mature, responsible, independent, confident, open-minded, thoughtful, inquisitive;
9. Have no prior exchange program experience in the United States, and preferably no such experience in Western Europe; and,
10. Have good (conversant) English language ability, as demonstrated through a personal interview or standardized test (please provide TOFEL scores, if available).

Please contact Public Affaris Section for application form.

Interested applicants must contact the Public Affairs Section at U.S Embassy, Doha, Qatar
Tel: 4884101-ext. 6372/6068.

Deadline for application is March 26, 2007.