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Two Programs in English as a Second Language (PIESL) lecturers visited Rwanda in March to teach an intensive English class to finalists for the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR) Undergraduate Scholarship Program (CUSP).
CASNR invited two PIESL lecturers Timothy Meadows and Timothy Janda to spend two weeks in Kigali, Rwanda providing intensive English classes for a group of 58 talented students, each competing for one of the final 43 spots in the CUSP program. The selected scholars will begin their studies in Nebraska as part of the fifth and final CUSP cohort in the fall of 2019.
The CUSP program provides selected Rwandan students with a full tuition scholarship, including fees, living expenses and travel costs. The scholars pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in Integrated Science that is focused on conservation agriculture, entrepreneurship, leadership, and innovative thinking and is aligned with the areas of need as identified by the Rwandan Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources. Upon completion of the program, participants will return to Rwanda and commit a minimum of 5 years of their career to advancing the Rwanda agricultural sector.
Janda and Meadow’s goal was to help the applicants meet UNL’s English language requirement for full undergraduate admission. To that end, participants received instruction and extensive practice to improve their academic writing, reading, and listening skills. Participants took an exam on the final day of the program to demonstrate their increased proficiency level, and these scores were included as one part of the overall admissions process.
Both Janda and Meadows said they look forward to meeting some of the “amazing students” on Nebraska’s campus this fall as they begin their academic degree.
For more information about organizing short-term English language programs, please contact the PIESL Office via email or visit their website.
For more information about the Rwandan CUSP scholarship, visit the CASNR website.