The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced the award of a two-year grant to a U.S. based organization-The Tibet Fund- to implement its Tibet Education Project.
This $2 million project will work in cooperation with three bodies- Central Tibetan Administration-Department of Education, The Snow Lion Foundation, and California State University/Fullerton- to improve the quality of educational opportunities for Tibetan primary and secondary students, who attend Tibetan schools across settlements in India and Nepal.
Reflecting on the grant, USAID India Mission Director William Hammink in a communiqué on Friday said:
“The U.S. Government is committed to assisting Tibetan refugees in the region. Both the U.S. Department of State and USAID support cultural preservation and sustainable development in Tibetan refugee communities through numerous programs. Through the delivery of strategic educational programming, this project will produce significant gains in the educational outcomes of the Tibetan school system as a whole and will equip young Tibetans to succeed in the global economy while retaining their identity and culture.”
The Tibet Fund is expected to accelerate the process of development of teachers and their training as the aim behind the exercise was to improve the quality of teaching and develop learning tools to enhance science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education.
To facilitate a larger number of Tibetan students to access costly and competitive higher educational opportunities, The Tibet Fund can expand the Central Tibetan Administration’s college scholarship program and provide test preparation and coaching for secondary students. The project is designed to establish a counseling program for students and strengthen administration of Tibetan schools.