The University of Arizona Arabic Jumpstart Program has received a $63,840.00 grant from the Qatar Foundation International to fund scholarships for the summer of 2022. QFI is an educational organization based in Washington, D.C., committed to advancing the teaching and learning of the Arabic language.
Offered by the School of Middle Eastern and North African Studies, Arizona Arabic Jumpstart is a rigorous and immersive 10-week summer intensive program for incoming freshmen at the University of Arizona as well as high school and senior high school students. who wish to reach higher levels. Arabic in order to join rigorous university programs.
- With this new grant, combined with funding from UArizona and funding from the Arabic Flagship Grant, the 2022 summer program tuition/fees will be fully funded.
- Students will also receive a stipend for housing, books, meals, and travel if they graduate from high school and join the University of Arizona as freshmen in fall 2022 and have been accepted into the Arizona Arabic Flagship program.
- Rising high school juniors and seniors receive a significant tuition reduction and can apply for scholarships to cover the remaining tuition of approximately $600/session and a stipend for living expenses.
- Jumpstart students who join the Arabic flagship program will also receive a scholarship to take Arabic during the 2022-2023 fall and spring semesters.
- Applications must be submitted before May 3, 2022.
“Giving students such a head start in Arabic before reaching college can make it easier to join and stay in a flagship program,” said Sonia Shiri, Principal Investigator, Director of the Arabic Flagship Program at the University. Arizona and associate professor at the Middle School of Oriental and North African Studies. “These scholarships help level the playing field for students of all backgrounds and pave the way for motivated and ambitious students to master a critical language while pursuing one or more majors.”
Jumpstart Arabic students can earn up to 10 college credits and complete their first, second, or third year of Arabic in one summer. An Arabic dialect is taught alongside Modern Standard Arabic in every class. A college Arabic mentor-tutor is responsible for working with students in small groups and individually throughout the summer.
The Jumpstart program also includes various interactive cultural activities that promote a better understanding of Arab culture and connect students to Tucson’s vibrant Arab community.
Many Jumpstart students meet their college’s language requirements by participating in the program and may pursue an Arabic major or minor in addition to their other major(s). Some Jumpstart students complete the program more than once and become more competitive for study abroad program scholarships. By the time they join the university, their proficiency in Arabic puts them alongside graduate students and advanced undergraduate students.
The University of Arizona is one of only six institutions in the country to host a flagship Arabic program, which is funded by the National Security Education Program and helps undergraduate students from various streams to achieve professional-level proficiency in Arabic before graduation, with a 12-month program. study abroad in Morocco. WA Franke Honors College students can now earn honor credits for taking Arabic courses.
“Graduates from our flagship program find that their experience at the University of Arizona and in the study abroad program prepares them for a variety of careers. Their advanced Arabic and in-depth global experience sets them apart nationally and makes them desirable candidates for employment and higher education,” Shiri said.
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