A Program of the -
Sep 02, 2026
Announcing 2026 CLS Refresh!
The CLS Program is pleased to announce another cycle of CLS Refresh, a funded language learning opportunity for CLS alumni.
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Jul 13, 2026
CLS Alumni Highlight: Chelsea Cervantes De Blois
When Chelsea Cervantes De Blois first imagined her career, she saw herself as a scientist.
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Jun 03, 2026
AI in Action International Alumni Seminar
The U.S. Department of State’s CLS Program invites alumni to apply for the AI in Action International Alumni Seminar.
The CLS Program provides immersive summer programs for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to learn languages of strategic importance to the United States’ national security and economic prosperity.
The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is a program of the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and supported in its implementation by American Councils for International Education.
The CLS Program provides immersive summer programs for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to learn languages of strategic importance to the United States’ national security and economic prosperity. Participants receive the equivalent of one year of language study in eight weeks, through intensive language instruction and cultural activities that reinforce both language learning and intercultural competence. Since 2006, the CLS Program has supported over 10,000 U.S. undergraduate and graduate students. CLS alumni represent all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
What Alumni Say About the CLS Program
Key Benefits
Develop Key Expertise
The CLS Program provides its scholars intensive language and cultural instruction in an environment designed to maximize their language gains at every level.
Career Ready Skills
Alumni apply their critical language skills in a variety of professional fields in public and private sectors as well as government, helping to support America’s competitiveness across the board.
Citizen Diplomacy
CLS scholars represent the breadth of the United States. Through personal engagement they help to spread American values and develop mutual understanding with the people of other countries.
Languages Offered
CLS News and Stories
Announcing 2026 CLS Refresh!
Applications for the 2026 CLS Refresh cycle are now open - a funded opportunity for CLS alumni to continue building their language skills. As we continue to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, as well as the 20th anniversary of the CLS Program, CLS Refresh offers an opportunity to honor our nati…September 02, 2026
CLS Alumni Highlight: Chelsea Cervantes De Blois
When Chelsea Cervantes De Blois first imagined her career, she saw herself as a scientist. Today, she works at the intersection of research, geospatial analysis, and public service, using expertise in geographic information systems (GIS), population studies, and regional languages to support U.S. d…July 13, 2026
AI in Action International Alumni Seminar
The U.S. Department of State’s Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program invites alumni to apply for the AI in Action International Alumni Seminar, taking place in Riga, Latvia, from October 17–24, 2026. This weeklong seminar will convene up to 25 CLS alumni for hands-on sessions with topic expe…June 03, 2026
2026 CLS Alumni Ambassador Forum
In April, the CLS Program hosted the 2026 CLS Alumni Ambassador Forum in Washington, D.C. – a multi-day training focused on outreach, leadership development, and expanding the program’s impact. These ambassadors will represent CLS, engage prospective applicants, and build institutional partnerships…May 29, 2026
CLS in the Press
A Rollins Graduate’s Summer in Korea
French horn player and Major in Music Joshua Song (’26) was this year’s only recipient of the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) from Rollins College.
Shared from , September 28, 2026
Akash Nayak ’27 discusses teaching peace education in Bosnia, work for Global Research Institute
Akash Nayak ’27 is one of many undergraduates at the College of William and Mary who name local coffee shops as one of their favorite things about the College. He is one of just four, however, who can say they spent the past summer teaching and researching in Sarajevo, Bosnia with the American-Bosnian Collaboration Project.
Shared from , September 22, 2026
Critical Language Scholarships Send Pomona Students Overseas for Intercultural Learning
Zena Almeida-Warwin ’28 and Sarah Owosina ’29 lived abroad this summer to boost their intercultural competencies and reinforce their academic priorities as participants in the U.S. Department of State’s Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program.
Shared from , September 22, 2026