American Institute For Foreign Study

We bring the world together.

For Immediate Release

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Mike Liberty
American Institute For Foreign Study
River Plaza, 9 West Broad Street
Stamford, CT 06902-3788
(203) 399-5187
mliberty@aifs.com
www.aifsabroad.com

PARTNERSHIP SPEARHEADS INITIATIVE TO DIVERSIFY STUDY ABROAD

AIFS and IERCEF Seek "Institutional Diversification"

STAMFORD, CT – October 21, 2010 – The American Institute For Foreign Study (AIFS) and the International Education Resource Center Education Foundation (IERCEF) today announced a partnership to spearhead the institutional diversification of study abroad programs for our nation's Minority-Serving Institutions (MSI) with an initial focus on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

In this new venture, AIFS will identify and create new programs for students with the assistance of IERCEF. These programs will be for both summer and semester terms and available for academic credit. All AIFS programs are comprehensive and include housing, meals, transcripts, insurance and a rich variety of built-in cultural activities and excursions. A special scholarship fund will also be created, with details to be announced in the near future.

"Despite all our best efforts to expand diversity, our progress over the past decade has been limited," states William L. Gertz, President and CEO of AIFS. "While more students are studying abroad, participation by African and Latino Americans and multi-racial students combined has increased less than 2 percent in the last 15 years."

IERCEF is a non-profit organization established in 2009 to increase study abroad participation among diverse and underserved students who attend our nation's MSIs, e.g., HBCUs, Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) and Tribal Colleges, Community Colleges and public high schools. Their immediate goal is to double African American study abroad participation from four to eight percent in 2015, or by about 11,000 more students.

AIFS offers programs in Australia, Austria, China, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Egypt, England, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Peru, Russia, South Africa, Spain and Turkey. Scholarships and financial aid are also available.

To learn more about studying abroad with AIFS, contact David Mauro at (800) 727-2437, ext. 5163 or email info@aifs.com, or visit www.aifsabroad.com.

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About AIFS

As a leader in cultural exchange, AIFS sends more than 5,000 students abroad each year. Since its founding in 1964, AIFS has been committed to providing students with the safest, most enjoyable and highest quality educational programs. AIFS celebrates a proud history of providing opportunities to the international education community. Over 1.5 million people from more than 500 colleges and universities have participated in AIFS programs.

Visit www.aifsabroad.com or call (800) 727-2437 for more information.

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