“Semester at Sea” Program Partners with Tom Joyner Foundation

June 9, 2011 - PRLog -- The Institute for Shipboard Education (ISE), which administers the Semester at Sea study abroad program, has partnered with the Tom Joyner Foundation (TJF) to fund two full scholarships for students attending historically black colleges and universities (HBCU’s) to participate in global voyages beginning in spring 2012.

Tom Joyner, chairman of the board for the Tom Joyner Foundation and host of the nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show, described the nearly 50-year-old Semester at Sea program as a terrific global education experience for students. “As someone who grew up with parents who understood the importance of travel, I can honestly say those opportunities allowed me to dream and see the world from other eyes,” he said. “This partnership is a chance to open the world to these students at HBCUs so they get a global perspective, and can learn so much by exploring the world.”

ISE and TJF share the belief that international exposure is a critical element in today’s undergraduate education, offering students a real-life global education experience that will give them an edge in this highly competitive job market. The program is open to students, regardless of their major.

“Students from HBCU’s are traditionally under-represented in the field of study abroad and on Semester at Sea,” said Ryan Roth, director of enrollment management for Semester at Sea. “While we have made some progress in the past several years, it is our hope that these scholarships will lead to a marked increase in participation from these important schools. We are very excited about this partnership.”

Semester at Sea offers four academic voyages each year: 100-day voyages in the fall and spring terms circumnavigate the globe and summer and May term voyages explore a world region. Participants, who hail from more than 280 U.S. and international universities, travel and reside aboard the 24,300-ton campus of the MV Explorer, attend classes in a closely knit environment with an international faculty, complete fieldwork and travel to as many as 13 countries each semester, and earn course credit through the University of Virginia, the academic sponsor of Semester at Sea.


Scholarship Requirements
To be eligible for the Tom Joyner Foundation/Semester at Sea Scholarship, students must:
•   Maintain full-time undergraduate enrollment at a Historically Black College or University (HBCU).
•   Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (all majors are eligible).
•   Demonstrate leadership through participation in community service, extracurricular, or other activities.

Application Instructions
•   Download an application: www.semesteratsea.org/admission-and-aid/overview/financial-aid-scholarships.php. The application review process will begin July 1, 2011. The application deadline to participate in the spring 2012 voyage is October 12, 2011.
•   Complete the Tom Joyner Foundation/Semester at Sea Scholarship application, including a 300-500 word essay describing how the student’s background at an HBCU will enhance her/his contribution to the shipboard voyage community.
•   Submit two letters of recommendation: 1. an academic reference at the student’s home HBCU institution; 2. a community service reference.

For more information about the Tom Joyner Foundation/Semester at Sea Scholarship, please see www.semesteratsea.org or call 800.854.0195.

About the Tom Joyner Foundation:
The Tom Joyner Foundation is a certified, 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization, founded in 1998 by Tom Joyner, the #1 syndicated urban radio hosts. The Foundation’s mission is to provide programming initiatives and partnerships in support of students who attend historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and their communities. To date, the Foundation has raised more than $60 million to help keep students in schools.

About the Institute for Shipboard Education:
Tracing its roots to 1963, ISE administers the multi-country study abroad program Semester at Sea as well as travel and learn opportunities called Enrichment Voyages and the Forum on Global Engagement. The mission of ISE is to educate individuals with the global understanding necessary to address the challenges of our interdependent world. ISE is a 501 (c) (3) educational non-profit based in Charlottesville, Virginia.

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