Press Room
NAFSA: Association of International Educators
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ursula Oaks, 202.737.3699 x253
For Release: May 07, 2008
NAFSA Launches Facebook Page to Promote Study Abroad Legislation
WASHINGTON – On April 22, NAFSA: Association of International Educators launched “Join the Movement for Study Abroad” on the popular social networking Web site Facebook. The page is dedicated to supporting the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act and encourages visitors to write to Congress urging passage of the legislation, which was passed by the House of Representatives last year and has been approved by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. It is awaiting action by the full Senate.
“The Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act would launch the United States into a new era in terms of the global knowledge and skills of our citizens, by making it possible for many more American college students to study abroad than can currently do so,” said NAFSA Executive Director and CEO Marlene M. Johnson. “Americans understand that we’re living in a globally connected world and that we need to prepare the next generation with foreign-language skills and an understanding of other countries and cultures. It’s time to make this a national priority, and through avenues like Facebook, we hope to engage a broader community of supporters in urging Congress to act.”
The page reads, in part: “We support [the Simon Act’s] vision of a globally educated American citizenry. And, we believe our country needs many more college graduates with the skills and understanding that come from a learning experience abroad: Language skills. Cross-cultural awareness. A sense of global citizenship.”
By establishing a foundation that will partner with higher education institutions to advance study abroad, the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act would help to ensure that many more American college students have the opportunity to live and learn abroad during their undergraduate education. It sets out the goal that in 10 years’ time, 1 million U.S. college students, fully representative of the college demographic, will study abroad annually on quality programs at destinations across the globe.
Visitors to “Join the Movement for Study Abroad” can link directly to a page through which they can prepare and send letters about the legislation to members of Congress. Registration on Facebook is necessary to view the page.
“The Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act would launch the United States into a new era in terms of the global knowledge and skills of our citizens, by making it possible for many more American college students to study abroad than can currently do so,” said NAFSA Executive Director and CEO Marlene M. Johnson. “Americans understand that we’re living in a globally connected world and that we need to prepare the next generation with foreign-language skills and an understanding of other countries and cultures. It’s time to make this a national priority, and through avenues like Facebook, we hope to engage a broader community of supporters in urging Congress to act.”
The page reads, in part: “We support [the Simon Act’s] vision of a globally educated American citizenry. And, we believe our country needs many more college graduates with the skills and understanding that come from a learning experience abroad: Language skills. Cross-cultural awareness. A sense of global citizenship.”
By establishing a foundation that will partner with higher education institutions to advance study abroad, the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act would help to ensure that many more American college students have the opportunity to live and learn abroad during their undergraduate education. It sets out the goal that in 10 years’ time, 1 million U.S. college students, fully representative of the college demographic, will study abroad annually on quality programs at destinations across the globe.
Visitors to “Join the Movement for Study Abroad” can link directly to a page through which they can prepare and send letters about the legislation to members of Congress. Registration on Facebook is necessary to view the page.
