CAIRO – On Thursday, February 26, in the American University in Cairo’s Ewart Hall, U.S. Ambassador to Egypt Stephen Beecroft awarded scholarships to 352 young Egyptians from all over the country. These Access scholarships from the U.S. Department of State provide two years of high-quality English language classes and extracurricular activities. Additionally, a trip to the United States is awarded to exceptional Access students each year. These scholarships are awarded as part of the English Access Microscholarship Program, and classes are provided by the American University in Cairo and AMIDEAST. Since its start in Egypt in 2006, the Access Program has benefited 2608 of Egypt’s young people.
Speaking to the students at the ceremony, Ambassador Beecroft said, “You are embarking on a program that will help you gain useful tools for a better future. Access will help you become a fluent English speaker. It will also provide the opportunity to practice job skills such as interviewing, to enhance your computer expertise, and to gain experience working in teams on community service projects.”
Access Program alumni also participated in the ceremony, reflecting on their time in Access and offering advice to the new classes. One Access alumnus showed a video he had made of his experience in the program, including his trip to the U.S. Currently 752 students are participating in the Access program and there are 1856 alumni of the Access program from 17 different governorates in Egypt.
The English Access Microscholarship Program is one of over 30 programs the U.S. Embassy offers to thousands of learners and teachers of English across Egypt.
