United States Embassy Grants 43 CASS Scholarships to Outstanding Young People

5 June 2002

United States Embassy Grants 43 CASS Scholarships to Outstanding Young People

SANTO DOMINGO – “Economic growth is difficult to maintain if you don´t have a broad educational base,” stated the Chargé d´Affaires of the United States Embassy, Janice L. Jacobs, upon pronouncing a speech during the ceremony to hand out 43 scholarships from the “Cooperative Association of States for Scholarships,” better known as the CASS Scholarships, sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The event was held on June 5^th in the Salón Gran Caribe of the Hotel V Centenario, with the participation of representatives from the Secretariat of State for Education, from the Secretariat of State for Public Health and Social Assistance, and from the Secretariat of Culture, among others.

Upon addressing those present, Mrs. Jacobs stated that: “… education is the fundamental element in the positive economic growth of any country. And achieving qualified labor requires an outstanding basic education, as well as a higher education which supplies the basic tools for citizens to be able to insert themselves into the competitive labor world of today.”

She pointed out that: “This program represents the continuous commitment of the United States government to encourage education among disadvantaged youth; supporting the sectors of health and education in their essential pillars such as basic education and primary health care, as well as improving the country’s ability to compete in a globalize market.”

The CASS Scholarship Program is a training program associated with the University of Georgetown, which annually is carried out with the support of a network of 25 community universities.

The beneficiaries are young people with scarce economic resources, from the different towns around the country, who have shown leadership traits and good academic performance in their communities. Teachers and rural nurses also benefit from these scholarships.

Of the young people who benefited this year, there are 23 high school graduates who will receive two-year scholarships in the areas of Quality Control, Biomedicine, Administration of Agri-Businesses, Radiology Technicians and in Language for the Deaf. There are 17 Basic Education Professors who will benefit from a six-month program in the area of health. Three are rural nurses who will attend a one-year program, and one is a professional nurse who will be trained in a special three-month program.

The average cost per student is US$40,000 for the two –year training. This program has benefited a total of 559 young people over a period of twelve years, in areas such as tourism, electronics, computers, agronomy, and business management.

Upon concluding her speech, the Chargé d´Affaires of the diplomatic mission pointed out the fact that she and her government are proud of the achievements, which this program has had to date, and they maintain their interest in potentializing human resources as part of the support for the development of Dominicans.