US-Brazil Connect is delighted to announce that its Brazilian partners—SESI and SENAI—finalized selection of Brazilian student delegates for the 2014 Conexão Mundo Program on October 20th.
In recognition of their hard work over the course of the 18-week English-language program, 107 students from 18 states across Brazil--selected from 2,000 participants--will have a unique opportunity to visit the US.
The main focus of Conexão Mundo is to offer all participating Brazilian students the chance to strengthen their confidence and skill communicating in English. This is facilitated by the interactive leadership of a US-Brazil Connect Fellow. To incentivize student participation throughout the program, each year, five percent of Brazilian students are selected to continue their cross-cultural education over a two-week, fully funded trip to the US.
The outstanding students will travel to one of four sites in the US. The majority will come to Denver, where US-Brazil Connect is partnering with local communities to help host the students. Several of US-Brazil Connect’s community college partners—including Jackson College (Jackson, MI), Flathead Valley Community College (Kalispell, MT) and Kirkwood Community College (Cedar Rapids, IA)—will also host students.
The Brazilian students will visit in two waves: January 17-30 and February 15-28, 2015. During their visit, they will tour scientific and industrial locations, partner with students in schools, attend cultural and social events, strengthen their English through immersion, and live with families to learn more about US culture.
US-Brazil Connect currently seeks Hosting Communities in the Denver Metro area that would help facilitate such activities and arrange host families for each student. Confirmed 2015 Hosting Communities include Monarch High School, College Track, Partners of the Americas, St. Ambrose Church, Denver Center for International Studies, Boulder High School, Highline Academy and Palomino Park.
The impact of the visit is best expressed by one of the students who visited in 2013:
“I loved everything that we did at the USA. Every single part was really special for me and I will remember it for the rest of my life,” wrote the student. “The program has changed my life in all the ways, the program made a dream possible and shown me that I can reach places that I can’t imagine. Thank you for everything.”
