|
Ambassador Garza Announces Scholarships for 53 Indigenous Teachers and Students 
Mexico City, July 6, 2006 – In a ceremony today at the Escuela Bancaria Comercial, Ambassador Antonio O. Garza announced the award of 53 scholarships to students and teachers from Oaxaca, Chiapas, Nayarit, Guerrero, Jalisco, Guanajuato, and Queretaro. The scholarships, funded by the United States government, will allow the students to study technical programs for two years and the teachers to study means of strengthening primary education for indigenous children for one year in institutions of higher learning in the United States.
 “These talented young Mexican men and women are embarking on a journey that will change not only their lives, but those of their families and communities,” said Ambassador Garza. “By living with American families and studying at community colleges, these outstanding students and teachers will experience American culture and improve their technical skills. And by serving as ambassadors of Mexico, they will create greater awareness between our two nations that will enhance our mutual understanding and friendship.”
“The scholarships were provided under the Training, Internships, Exchanges, and Scholarships (TIES) program, which was an initiative launched as part of President Bush and President Fox’s Partnership for Prosperity in 2001,” said Garza. “The TIES program has a budget of $50 million dollars over eight years provided through collaboration between the U.S. government, academic institutions and the private sector of Mexico and the United States. The U.S. government provides a total of $35 million for TIES, with universities and the private sector contributing an additional $15 million to support more than 750 scholarships and 45 current partnerships between Mexican and U.S. universities. The selection process for ten more partnerships is underway.”
Valeria Uribe, CASS/Georgetown National Coordinator; Ambassador Tony Garza; Anthropologist Ruben Viveros, Director of Indigenous Education, Secretariat of Public Education, and Jeffrey Bell, Deputy Director, USAID
|
“Almost one-third of the scholarships under the Training, Internships, Exchanges, and Scholarships (TIES) Initiative are especially designated for students from rural Mexico and indigenous communities who rarely get a chance for higher education abroad,” added Garza. “Last year, 25 Mexican students and 21 teachers received scholarships and are successfully completing their study programs in the U.S.”
The TIES program portion for indigenous students is divided in two main components: two-year scholarships for high school graduates from poor rural areas and one-year scholarships for indigenous teachers working in their communities. Students attend American community colleges in programs designed to improve their technical skills so that upon their return to Mexico, they can address economic and development issues in their communities. The program also assists participants with job placement and follow-up skill building sessions.
|
