OPENING CEREMONY OF THE ENGLISH ACCESS MICROSCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

On December 2, 2016, at the College of Mechanics and Irrigation, the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, in cooperation with the College of Mechanics and Irrigation, officially announced and awarded 27 full two-year scholarships under the English Access Microscholarship Program 2016 to disadvantaged, well-behaved, high-achieving vocational students in Đồng Nai Province who demonstrate a strong interest in learning English.

Attending the ceremony were Ms. Mary Tarnowka – U.S. Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City; Mr. Matthew Wall – Cultural and Press Attaché of the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City; Ms. Lê Thị Kim Muôn – Cultural Assistant of the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City; Mr. Stephen Berlinguette – Representative of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID); Mr. Phạm Văn Cộng – Deputy Director of the Đồng Nai Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs; the leadership of the College of Mechanics and Irrigation; along with parents and the 27 outstanding students selected for the scholarship program.

The English Access Microscholarship Program has been officially implemented in Vietnam since 2009 as one of the many scholarship and exchange programs of the U.S. Department of State. The program aims to provide disadvantaged local students with opportunities to strengthen cultural exchange and mutual understanding between Vietnam and the United States, raise awareness of common social development issues, and help them gain better opportunities for academic success and future careers.

After the program’s success over the past seven years, in 2016 the College of Mechanics and Irrigation was selected as one of the vocational schools in Vietnam to participate in this initiative. The College of Mechanics and Irrigation is a public institution under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, located in Đồng Nai Province. Over the past 40 years of development, the College has trained more than 100,000 skilled workers for the locality, the sector, and society, contributing to Vietnam’s industrialization and modernization.

In 2014, the College was approved by the Prime Minister as one of 45 public institutions to receive focused investment to become a high-quality vocational college by 2020 (Decision No. 761/QĐ-TTg, dated May 23, 2014). To meet international integration requirements and the criteria of a high-quality college, the institution has been implementing multiple measures to improve training quality, with a strong emphasis on developing English proficiency for teachers and students. Being selected as one of the beneficiaries of the English Access Program is considered an important step in the College’s roadmap to strengthen English capacity. The 27 outstanding students receiving scholarships underwent a competitive and fair selection process supervised by the College and representatives of the U.S. Consulate General.

The full two-year (360-hour) curriculum is designed based on UNESCO’s four pillars of education: learning to know, learning to do, learning to live together, and learning to be. In this program, students not only improve their English skills with native-speaking teachers but also gain opportunities to learn about American people, culture, and society; participate in meaningful field trips that broaden their understanding of the community and socio-economic development issues; and attend soft-skills sessions that help them build confidence in real-life communication.

Upon completion of the course, students will receive a Certificate of Completion from the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam. Notably, they will officially become members of the State Alumni community in Vietnam and worldwide. The English Access Microscholarship Program also provides students with valuable opportunities to access future scholarship programs or study-abroad pathways in the United States.