DSC earns grant for study abroad programs

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 29, 2015) – To help defray costs for students in study abroad programs, Daytona State College has received a national matching grant from the non-profit Institute of International Education (IIE) for $7,500.

The college is a partner in the Institute’s Generation Study Abroad initiative, whose goal is to double the number of U.S. students studying abroad by the end of the decade. Daytona State was among the first colleges to join the initiative when it was launched in March 2014.

“The college administration recognizes the importance of infusing international education into the curriculum as a way to help our students succeed in today’s intercultural workforce and global marketplace,” said John Brady, assistant director of DSC’s Office of Global Education & Affairs. “We appreciate this commitment, as well as IIE’s support in giving more DSC students the opportunity to participate in the college’s study abroad initiatives.”

Scores of DSC students have traveled abroad over the years while earning academic credit. They’ve explored medieval Rome, studied history at the University of Cambridge in England and art in Paris, to name just a few. Others have participated in service learning projects in Haiti, working with teachers and students at schools in rural, impoverished areas.

With matching funds committed by Daytona State, the $15,000 total will benefit at least six students traveling abroad on college-sanctioned study trips during the 2015-2016 academic year. Trips scheduled or being planned include Haiti, England, Scotland, Ireland, Italy and Nicaragua, Brady said.

Founded in 1919, the IIE is one of the world’s largest international education organizations. The organization cites research that shows students who study abroad have better grades, experience less attrition and graduate from college at higher rates than students who do not study abroad. It also notes that study abroad is one of the best ways students can acquire global skills and open up personal and professional opportunities. IIE notes that nearly 300,000 U.S. students study abroad each year.

For more information, visit DSC’s Office of Global Education & Affairs.

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Daytona State awarded 4th consecutive grant from Mexico

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Nov. 25, 2014) – The Mexican government’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has nearly tripled down on awarding scholarship funds to Daytona State College that will help low-income Mexican and Mexican-American students defray the cost of their education.

Sponsored by the ministry’s Institute for Mexicans Abroad (IME BECAS), this year’s $21,000 award far exceeds funds awarded in 2013 and will help over 100 students enrolled in adult education and college-credit programs pay for tuition and expenses such as testing fees, educational supplies and textbooks.

It’s the fourth straight year Daytona State has been awarded an IME BECAS scholarship grant. The award was presented to Daytona State’s English as a Second Language (ESOL) Coordinator Kathryn Clark this month at the Mexican Consulate headquarters in Orlando.

“This fourth grant award represents a great partnership that has proven to be life-changing for many students,” said Daytona State President Carol W. Eaton. “It helps to ensure that a pathway of opportunity is available to anyone who chooses to pursue a better life for themselves and their families through education.”

Daytona State and the college’s Foundation will match the IME grant with funding and in-kind services, along with the Sister Cities Association of Volusia County, bringing the total funding for this year’s IME BECAS initiative to nearly $41,000. Total grant dollars, matching funds and in-kind services to the program since Daytona State began the partnership in 2011 has been nearly $80,000.

Throughout that period, more than 200 ESOL and GED students, and 20 college-credit students have received help defraying the cost of their studies. Many are members of farm-worker families and reside in rural areas on the northwest side of Volusia County, Clark said; although, students from every campus and a variety of programs have received grant benefits.

“This grant frees people to make the commitment to pursue their education,” Clark said. “Some who have taken ESOL are now in GED, and they are moving up and preparing for futures as college students. Without the economic resources the grant provides, many wouldn’t be able to fulfill their educational goals. Some have had to set them aside for decades. It has been an honor to work with these students, and they are most grateful for this opportunity.” 

Established in 2003, the IME BECAS Scholarship Program is designed to raise the education levels of the Mexican and Mexican-American communities in the United States. Grants are provided to educational institutions and non-profit social organizations across the U.S. to train Mexican immigrants and Mexican-Americans interested in continuing their education and jobs skills development. The program’s ultimate goal is to help Mexican communities living abroad to better assimilate into their extended societies by opening doors of economic opportunity through education and workforce training.

The Sister Cities Association of Volusia County is a non-profit organization that promotes international exchanges between cities and people. The organization is twinned with Campeche, Mexico, and Bayonne, France, to establish mutually beneficial cultural, educational and business opportunities.

Last year, 229 students of Mexican origin attended Daytona State, including international students from Mexico and Mexican-American citizens. The vast majority enrolled in the college’s School of Adult Education. All students of Mexican descent are eligible to apply for the IME scholarship.

For more information about the program, call Clark at (386) 506-3820.

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