Critical Language Scholarship Program | News and Stories
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News and Stories

Bard College Student Melonie Bisset ’24 Wins Critical Language Scholarship for Foreign Language Study Abroad

Bard College senior Melonie Bisset ’24, a film and electronic arts major, has won a highly selective Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) for the 2024 summer session. CLS, a program of the US Department of State, provides recipients with overseas placements that include intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences designed to promote rapid language gains.

CLS in the Press — April 01, 2024

Penn State graduate earns Critical Language Scholarship to develop skills abroad

enn State alumna Heather Novak earned a Critical Language Scholarship, providing her the opportunity to further develop her Mandarin language skills while living abroad. Novak, of Northampton, Pennsylvania, graduated from Penn State with a bachelor’s degree in linguistics and a minor in Chinese, and a master’s degree in teaching English as a second language from the College of the Liberal Arts.

CLS in the Press — March 29, 2024

Celebrating Women's History Month with CLS Alumnae

As Women’s History Month comes to a close, the CLS Program is shining a spotlight on three inspiring and entrepreneurial CLS Turkish alumnae: Isabelle McRae, Keyia Yalcin, and Sydney Ribot. Isabelle is a multilingual development consultant based in London, one of her recent projects, translating Tu…

CLS Program News — March 28, 2024

Two Western Kentucky University Students Offered U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarships

Two WKU students have been offered 2024 Critical Language Scholarships, and two have been designated alternates. The Critical Language Scholarship Program (CLS), a program of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, is an intensive overseas language and cultural immersion program for American undergraduate and graduate students.

CLS in the Press — March 25, 2024

Washington and Lee Students Awarded Critical Language Scholarship

For Berwick, receiving a CLS to study Indonesian language, culture and customs in Malang, Indonesia, brings her one step closer to her dream career as a foreign service officer for the U.S. Department of State. The scholarship is also meaningful because Berwick has grown up surrounded by Indonesian culture and has been an Indonesian-style classical dancer since she was 4 years old.

CLS in the Press — March 21, 2024

Navigating Vegetarianism & Veganism in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

When CLS Russian students, Raven and Valentina, first learned they’d be studying in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, they were ecstatic. Their second feeling was one of uncertainty – what were they going to eat!? As a vegetarian and vegan respectively, Raven and Valentina’s plant-based diets were in strong co…

CLS Program News — March 15, 2024