General Program Description

This message solicits candidate applications for a new Study of the United States Institute for student leaders from Brazil.  Deadline for candidate applications to be received by the US Embassy in Brasília is Monday, October 8, 2007; applications received after that date will not be considered. Participants must be fluent in English.

The Study of the United States Institute is an intensive academic program with integrated study tours whose purpose is to provide groups of undergraduate student leaders with a deeper understanding of the United States, while simultaneously enhancing their leadership skills.

The institute will take place at a college and university in the United States (currently being selected) over the course of five weeks beginning in January 2008, for a group of 18 Brazilian undergraduate students.  Regional diversity is a priority so applicants from all regions of Brazil are encouraged to apply. 

Program Details

As stated above, the Study of the U.S. Institute for Student Leaders is an intensive academic program whose purpose is to provide groups of undergraduate student leaders with a deeper understanding of the United States, while simultaneously enhancing their leadership skills.  The institute will consist of a balanced series of seminar discussions, readings, group presentations and lectures.  The coursework and classroom activities will be complemented by educational travel to other parts of the United States, local site visits, and volunteer opportunities. The institute will include an academic residency component of approximately four weeks and a domestic travel component of approximately one week that will conclude with a 2-3 day program in Washington, D.C.

The principal objective of the Institute is to heighten the participants' awareness of the history and evolution of U.S. society, culture, values and institutions, broadly defined.  In this context, the Institute will incorporate a focus on contemporary life in the U.S., as it is shaped by historical and/or current political, social, and economic issues and debates.  The role and influence of principles and values such as democracy, the rule of law, individual rights, freedom of expression, equality, diversity and tolerance will also be addressed.

In addition to promoting a better understanding of the United States, an important objective of the institute is to develop the participants' leadership and collective problem-solving skills.  In this context, the academic program will include group discussions, training and exercises that focus on such topics as the essential attributes of leadership, teambuilding, collective problem-solving skills, effective communication, and management skills for diverse organizational settings.  There will also be a community service component, in which the students experience first -hand how not-for-profit organizations and volunteerism play a key role in U.S. civil society.

Local site visits and educational travel will provide opportunities to observe varied aspects of life in the U.S. and to discuss lessons learned in the academic program.  The program will also include opportunities for participants to meet U.S. citizens from a variety of backgrounds, to interact with their U.S. peers, and to speak to student and civic groups about their experiences and life in Brazil .

Other Essential Program Information:

A. Program Funding : Through a grant to the host institution, the U.S. Department of State will cover all participant costs, including: program administration; international and domestic travel and ground transportation; books; cultural, mailing and incidental allowances; housing and subsistence.

B. Housing and Meal Arrangements: Housing will typically be in college or university owned housing.  Participants may be expected to share a room and bathroom with another student of the same gender.  Most meals will be provided at campus facilities, though participants may have access to a kitchen to cook some meals on their own.  Care will be taken to ensure that any special requirements regarding diet, daily worship, housing and medical care are satisfied.  Full details will be provided once candidates have been selected.

C. Health Insurance : All participants will receive the Department of State's coverage of $50,000 with a $25 deductible for the duration of the program.  Pre-existing conditions are not covered.

D. Program Requirements and Restrictions : Participants are expected to participate fully in the program.  They are expected to attend all lectures and organized activities, and complete assigned readings.  Candidates should be aware that the institute is very intensive and that there will be little time for personal pursuits unrelated to the program.  The institute should not be viewed as a research program.  Family members and/or friends cannot accompany participants on any part of the program.   Similarly, participants will not be allowed to leave the institute to visit relatives or friends while in the U.S.  Under no circumstances are participants allowed to arrive in the U.S. prior to the start date of the institute or remain in the U.S. after its end date.  Violations of host institution rules or local, state or federal laws can be grounds for immediate dismissal from the program.   It is important that these requirements and restrictions be clear before applications are submitted.

E. English Language Ability : All candidates should be proficient in English so that they can be an active participant in the academic program.  Host institutions will take into account that the level of comprehension and speaking ability of students may vary, and will prepare lectures and discussions that meet the highest academic standards while using language appropriate for students where English is their second or third language.

F. U.S. Visa: The Embassy will facilitate applications for a J-1 Exchange Visitor visa.  Selected applicants are responsible for obtaining a valid Brazilian passport.

Candidate Description and Qualifications:

A. Candidates should be highly-motivated first through third year undergraduate students (at time of application) from Brazilian universities who demonstrate leadership through academic work, community involvement, and extracurricular activities.

B. Candidates will be selected from a wide variety of fields of study, including the sciences, social sciences, humanities, education, business, and other professional fields.  No fields of study are excluded, though students of law, medicine, dentistry, and veterinary science should be aware that these courses are graduate (pos-graduação) programs in the U.S.; if the themes of the Institute mentioned above are of interest to these students, they are encouraged to apply.  

C. Candidates must have strong speaking and reading skills in English. 

D. Candidates with little or no prior experience in the U.S. or elsewhere outside of Brazil are encouraged to apply.

E. Candidates are from all regions of Brazil are encouraged to apply. 

Other Factors for Consideration:

Please be advised that the Study of the United States Institute is highly competitive.   The final selection will be made by the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC.

The following factors will be used in selecting participants. 

The clarity with which an applicant addresses each of these factors will strongly influence a candidate's chance of selection. 

• Personal Statement: In order to get a better sense of potential participants' motivations and goals, the Department of State requests that each applicant provide a short personal statement (maximum one page) indicating why he or she is interested in participating in the program and what he or she expects to get out of the experience.
  
• Evidence of Leadership Ability: Please use the space for training, memberships, special interests, and extracurricular activities to highlight your proven leadership ability.
  
• Future Study or Career Plans: This statement will provide additional perspective on how the Institute will benefit the student.
  
• English Language Ability: It is imperative that all candidates demonstrate English language fluency. Institutes are rigorous and demanding programs; participants will be expected to handle substantial reading assignments in English and to be full and active participants in all seminar and panel discussions. English fluency is vital to a successful experience in the institute.
  
• Academic achievement: Your university transcript and any special academic honors received. 

Application format:

Please submit applications by e-mail no later than Monday, October 8, 2007 to galantevv@state.gov

Applications must follow the format below.  It is essential that items A-F are included and completely accurate.

A. Applicant's full name, exactly as it appears in his/her passport (or national identity document). Clearly identify first, middle and surnames as they appear in passport/ID.

B. Date of Birth (please spell out Month, Day, Year)

C. City/State of Birth

D. Country of Birth

E. Country of Residence

F. Country(ies) of Citizenship

G. Home Address, Telephone and E-mail

H. Gender

I. Medical, Physical, Dietary or other Personal Considerations: Please state any existing medical conditions or if you are currently taking any prescription medication.  This will not affect selection, but will enable the host institution to make any necessary accommodations.

J. Name, city, state of your University

K. Field of Study

L. Education, Academic and Professional Training, including degree expected to be earned and fields of specialization

M. Active Memberships

N. Special Interests

O. Extracurricular Activities

P. Previous Experience in the United States: Please list any and all trips to the United States and include approximate dates and the reason for travel.

Q. Family Residing in the United States: Please list any immediate family members who are currently residing in the United States, including city and state.

R. Evidence of English Fluency: Please send one of the following: 1) TOEFL score and testing date (you do not need to take the TOEFL; only for applicants who have already taken a TOEFL exam); 2) TELP score (please see list of institutions offering the TELP below); 3) other evidence of English proficiency ( e.g., previous study at an institution where English was the primary language of instruction).  If you do not have a TOEFL score, live more than 300 kilometers from a TELP testing center, do not have other evidence of proficiency, but feel you have the required level of English ability, please contact Vera Galante at galantevv@state.gov

S. Future study or career plans

T. Personal Statement (no more than one page) (see above)

U. Official copy of your most recent university transcript: Please scan a copy and include it in your submission (in Portuguese, there is no need to have it translated)

TELP Testing Sites

Please contact the test center nearest you as soon as possible. 

BELÉM - Silvia Silva
Centro Cultural Brasil-Estados Unidos
Travessa Padre Eutíquio, 1309 - Batista Campos
66.023.710 - Belém, Pará
Tel: (91) 3242-9455 Ramais 240/211/210
Fax:  (91) 3241-2257
E-mail: cultural@ccbeu.com.br
http://www.ccbeu.com.br/

BELO HORIZONTE - Judy Cerqueira
Instituto Cultural Brasil-Estados Unidos
Rua da Bahia, 1723 - Lourdes
30.160.011 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais
Tel: (31) 3271-7255  Fax: (31) 3222-4594
E-mail: advising@icbeu.com.br
http://www.icbeu.com.br

BRASÍLIA – Gizélia Paulino Borges
Casa Thomas Jefferson (CTJ)
SGAN 606 Bloco B – Asa Norte
70840-060 Brasília, Distrito Federal
Tel:  (61) 3347-4040
Fax:  (61) 3340-6939
E-mail: eao@thomas.org.br
http://www.thomas.org.br/

CAMPINAS - Suzi Almeida
Centro Cultural Brasil-Estados Unidos
Av. Julio de Mesquita, 606 - Cambui
13.025.061 Campinas, São Paulo
Tel: (19) 3794-9700, 3794-3715
Fax: (19) 3794-9720
E-mail:  consedu@ccbeuc.com.br
http://www.ccbeuc.com.br/

CURITIBA – Regina Poleza
Inter Americano
Educational and Business Center
Rua Maranhão, 2088 - Portão
80610-001 Curitiba, Paraná
Tel: (41) 3229-3064 Fax: (41) 3229-3004
E-Mail: eac_curitiba@interamericano.com.br
http://www.interamericano.com.br

CURITIBA - Areta Gallat
UNIFAE
Av. Silva Jardim, 1499 – Rebouças
80.250.200 Curitiba, Parana
Tel: (41) 2105-4444
Fax: (41) 2105-4445
E-mail: aretagallat@fae.edu ; Areta.gallat@bomjesus.com.br
http://www.fae.edu/ece

FLORIANÓPOLIS – Lydia Schwalb Colégio Bom Jesus Coração de Jesus
Lace - EducationUSA
Rua Emir Rosa – 120 – 88020-050
Florianópolis, Santa Catarina
Tel: (47)3222-2080
e-mail: mailto:gleidson.gouveia@bomjesus.br

FORTALEZA- Marcos Norelle
Instituto Brasil-Estados Unidos - Ceará
Rua Nogueira Acioly, 891 - Centro
60.110.040 Fortaleza, Ceará
Tel/Fax: (85) 4006-9941
E-mail: norelle@ibeuce.com.br
http://www.ibeuce.com.br/educacional

FRANCA – Raquel Lambert
Centro Cultural Brasil-Estados Unidos
Av. Major Nicácio, 1.907 – Cidade Nova 14401-135,
Franca, São Paulo
Tel/Fax:(16)3724-4300                           
E-mail: ccbeu@ccbeufranca.com.br
raquel@ccbeufranca.com.br
http://www.ccbeufranca.com.br/

GOIÂNIA – Viviane Silvestre
Centro Cultural Brasil-Estados Unidos
R. 4, nº 408 – Setor Oeste
74110-140 Goiânia, Goiás
Tel/Fax: (62) 3096-1212
E-mail: ies@ccbeu.com
http://www.ccbeu.com/.br

JOINVILLE – Janete Uhelski
Centro Cultural Brasil-Estados Unidos de Joinville
Rua Tijucas, 370 – Centro
89.204.020 Joinville, Santa Catarina
Tel: (47) 3433-4110 Fax: (47) 3422-3465
E-mail: adviser@ccbeuj.com.br
http://www.ccbeuj.com.br/

LONDRINA – Kris Fitch
Instituto Cultural Brasil-Estados Unidos
R.    Prof. João Cândido, 1114 - Centro
86.010.001 Londrina, Paraná
Tel/Fax: (43) 3324-5372
E-mail: advising@culturalweb.com.br
http://www.culturalweb.com.br/

MANAUS- Isa Akel
Instituto Cultural Brasil-Estados Unidos
Av. Joaquim Nabuco, 1286 - Centro
69.020.030 Manaus, Amazonas
Tel: (92) 3232-5919  Fax: (92) 3232-5311
E-mail: coord.cult@icbeu.com
http://www.icbeu.com/

PORTO ALEGRE – Ana Cristina Gonzalez Alves
Instituto Cultural Brasileiro-Norte-Americano
Rua Riachuelo, 1257 / 2 andar
90.010.271 Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul
Tel:  ( 51) 4009-2316/ 4009-2321
Fax: (51) 3286-3981
E-mail: ana.alves@icbna.com
http://www.cultural.org.br/

RECIFE - Martha Menge
Associação Brasil-América (ABA)
Av. Rosa e Silva, 1510 - Aflitos
52.050.220 Recife, Pernambuco
Tel: (81) 3427-8800 Fax:  (81) 3427-1881
E-mail:martha@abaweb.org
http://www.abaweb.org/

RIBEIRÃO PRETO – Vanessa  Mazali Fonseca
–Associação de Cultura Brasil-Estados Unidos
Rua General Osório, 768 – Centro 14010-000, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo
Fone/Fax: (16) 3625-4449
e-mail: advising@acbeu.com.br ;acbeu@acbeu.com.br  http://http://www.acbeu.com.br/

RIO DE JANEIRO - IBEU
Neide Monteiro
Depto. de Bolsas e Orientação Educacional
Instituto Brasil-Estados Unidos (IBEU)
Av. N. S. Copacabana, 690/sl. 1004 - Copacabana
22.050.000 Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro
Tel: (21) 3816-9400 ramal 9445
Para TELP: (21) 22555830, 38169438
Fax: (21) 3816-9422
E-mail: neidemonteiro@ibeu.org.br
http://www.ibeu.org.br/

SALVADOR –Magnólia Santos
Associação Cultural Brasil-Estados Unidos
Av. Prof. Magalhães Netto, 1.520 – Stiep
41829-140 Salvador, Bahia
Tel: (71) 3340-5400 Fax: (71) 3340-5499
E-mail: mgsantos@acbeubahia.org.br
http://www.acbeubahia.org.br/

Serviço de Orientação funcionando no centro binacional com a orientadora atendendo em tempo parcial.

SANTOS – Simone Del Nero
Centro Cultural Brasil-Estados Unidos
R. Jorge Tibiriçá, 5/7 - Gonzaga
11055-250 Santos, São Paulo
Tel: (13) 3281-3993/3999
Fax: (13) 3289-4922
E-mail: advising@ccbeunet.br
http://www.ccbeunet.br/

Serviço de Orientação funcionando no centro binacional com a orientadora atendendo em tempo parcial.

SÃO JOSÉ DOS CAMPOS - Mônica
Kuhne
Instituto Cultural Brasil-Estados Unidos
Av. Adhemar de Barros, 464 Vila Ady’Anna
12.243.610 São José dos Campos, São Paulo
Tel/fax: (12) 3294-1000
E-mail:  advising@icbeusjc.com.br
http://www.icbeusjc.com.br/

SÃO LUIS – José Antônio Mendes Lopes
Instituto Cultural Brasil-Estados Unidos
R. Montanha Russa, 42 – Centro
65010-400 São Luis, Maranhão
Tel (98) 3213-6855 Fax: (98) 3232-8070
E-mail: jamlopes@hotmail.com
http://www.icbeu.net/

SÃO PAULO - Associação Alumni
Tania Pimazoni/ Thais B. C. Pires
Departamento de Consultas Educacionais
Alameda Jaú, 1.208
01.420.001 São Paulo, São Paulo
Tel: (11) 3067-2916
Fax: (11) 3067-2936
E-mail: tania@alumni.org.br
thaispires@alumni.org.br
http://www.alumni.org.br/

SÃO PAULO – Celso Santos
União Cultural Brasil-Estados Unidos
R. Teixeira da Silva, 560 - Paraíso
04.002.032 São Paulo, São Paulo
Tel: (11) 3885-1022/ 2148-2900
Fax: (11) 2148-2900 R.158
E-mail: celso.santos@uniaocultural.com.br
studentadvising@uniaocultural.com.br
http://www.uniaocultural.com.br