Programs and Events
US Embassy and Ministry of Education Honor 200 English Students in Graduation Ceremony
US Ambassador William T. Monroe and officials from the Ministry of Education hosted a graduation ceremony at the Sheikh Khalifa Technical Institute for graduates of the ACCESS Microscholarship English-language program in the 2005-2006 school year. This year nearly 200 Ministry of Education secondary students participated in the ACCESS classes which were run directly in their schools as an after-school program.
Ambassador Monroe praised the program and the students saying, “This graduation ceremony marks a milestone, not only for the students, but for the Embassy and the Ministry of Education as well. This is the first time we have partnered so closely on a program so significant.”
As a part of the ceremony, the ACCESS students presented a student project called “Bahrain 24/7,” a book they created with photographs and captions about life and culture in Bahrain. Wisam Zaid, a student at Hamad Town Girls School delivered a student address about her experience in the the program saying, “The ACCESS program has given me hope for the future that with my English I might be able to attend University abroad.” Nawaf Al Maskati from Sheikh Isa bin Ali Boys Secondary School, Fatima Sabri from Al Noor Girls School, and Mohammed Al Sadadi from Naem Boys School also gave speeches at the graduation.
The ACCESS program was initiated in Bahrain in 2004 with 70 secondary school students. The program was created to provide students with supplemental English-language training in a project-based interactive environment that emphasizes effective, persuasive, and creative communication skills. This year the Bahrain program has grown to over 430 students, making it the largest ACCESS program in the Gulf region.
In his speech Ambassador Monroe explained the value of the ACCESS program. “Almost 2 billion people – a third of the world’s population – speak English as a native or second language, and English has become a primary language of global trade and commerce. If you speak English you have ACCESS to a lot more information, people, ideas, and job opportunities, and it expands your ability to learn from others and share experiences with them.”
Earlier this year the ACCESS students practiced their new English-skills when they visited the American Embassy and met with Ambassador Monroe. He commented, “I was so impressed with how articulate the students had become in such a short time. They asked me questions ranging from my life as a diplomat, to US foreign policy, to how to go to college in America.”
Many of the graduates will be participating in an intensive summer English-language program at the American Cultural and Educational Center in Juffair in June and July. The ACCESS program will continue at ACEC and in Ministry of Education schools in the 2006-2007 school year.
For more information about the ACCESS program worldwide, please see http://exchanges.state.gov/education/engteaching/access.htm.