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Please
note the following questions are based on CIEE programs for applicants
from the Southeast. Some information provided may be specific to
CIEE.
The
Congress-Bundestag Program, which is administered by the U.S.
Department of State, was inaugurated in 1983 through a bilateral
agreement between the U.S. Congress and the German Bundestag (Parliament).
Each country continues to place high value on its success by exchanging
nearly 500 students every year. While 250 American high school students
spend their year learning German, 250 Germans travel to the U.S.
to live and study in an American high school. The program aims to
foster cultural understanding and diplomacy, while promoting the
German and English languages.
The program places high emphasis on learning about the political
systems of each country. Students who have the opportunity to travel
to Germany as Congress-Bundestag Scholars are regarded as
youth ambassadors of the United States.
Established
in 1947, CIEE
(the Council on International Educational Exchange) is a world-leader
in language learning and cultural exchange services. CIEE offers
academic high
school programs across the world while over 1,000
international high school students travel to the U.S. through CIEE
programs each year. On the university level, CIEE has study centers
in over 35 countries worldwide, and opportunities for international
students and professionals to work and intern in the states.
Each year, CIEE helps thousands of high school and university students to grow personally and to develop their potential on a
wide variety of exchange programs across the globe. CIEE staff are
highly trained, and are devoted to helping people to acquire knowledge
and develop global skills for living in a culturally diverse world.
Recipients of the Congress-Bundestag Scholarship will receive a
full-year program which includes the following:
- International
airfare to and from Germany (departing from Washington D.C.)
- Pre-
Departure orientation in Washington D.C.
- Three weeks of
language camp
- Mid-Year
meeting
- Host
family stay in Germany (all meals and lodging)
- Schooling/classes
while in Germany
- Medical
Insurance
- End
of Year/Re-Entry Meeting in Berlin
Not
included:
- Personal
expenses (such as travel, toiletries, allowance)
- Personal
phone calls/internet use
- Airfare/transportation
to and from Washington D.C.
Students
participating in the Congress-Bundestag Program will be placed throughout
Germany according to their likes/dislikes/activities and other criteria
supplied on the secondary application (provided once students are
selected for the program). CIEE’s German partner organization
works to make the best match with a host family, school and Local
Coordinator. Placements are made according to host families and
not geography.
While
CIEE facilitates the exchange to Germany, students are responsible
for configuring the transfer of school credits/classes between Germany
and the U.S. While most students receive credit for their work in
Germany, CIEE does not guarantee specific classes or credits.
Approximately
11 months, with departure in late July 2008 and return in late June 2009.
No.
In maintaining the standards of the program, students are not permitted
to return the U.S. during the program year. Additionally, family
members are only permitted to visit the student in Germany AFTER
January 2, 2009.
To apply for the Congress-Bundestag Scholarship, you must be a U.S.
citizen, national or permanent resident; have a GPA of 3.0 on a
4.0 scale, and be between the ages of 15 and 18 at the start of
the program. German language IS NOT a requirement.
Find
out which organization is responsible for your region by looking
at the map.
If you have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you may download an application
by clicking
here. You may also request an application by calling your organization.
When you have completed the application, send it to the correct
organization. Remember, the postmark deadline for applications is now
January 16, 2008.
Students
who apply for the scholarship by January 16, 2008 will be notified
when their application is received. The CIEE Selection Committee
will review applications and select students to be interviewed in
February 2008. (Students who are not selected will be notified).
Final notification will be mailed around mid-March 2008.
Contact
your corresponding organization to get answers to your specific
questions! Residents from the Southeast can contact CIEE by calling
(800) 448-9944 or emailing cb@ciee.org.
Please be sure to reference the Congress-Bundestag (Boon-deh-stag)
Program when you call or write.
CIEE
address in Portland, MaIne:
Congress-Bundestag Program
CIEE
300 Fore Street
Portland, ME 04101 USA
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