Program dates are January 7 to February 11, 2017. The Institute will host a group of up to 20 students from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay. The Institute will be conducted in English and will be hosted at the Institute for Training and Development (ITD) in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Application forms should be completed online at http://goo.gl/F06aqI

Please submit any supplemental documents (concentración de notas and awards) in ONE email to USChileExchanges@state.gov.

Deadline for applying is 11:59PM on Friday, September 16, 2016. Applications received after this deadline will NOT be accepted.

Program Description:

Study of the U.S. Institutes (SUSI) for Student Leaders are intensive academic programs whose purpose is to provide groups of undergraduate student leaders with a deeper understanding of the United States, while simultaneously enhancing their leadership skills. The Institutes will consist of a balanced series of seminar discussions, readings, group presentations, and lectures. The coursework and classroom activities will be complemented by educational travel, site visits, and volunteer opportunities. The Institutes will include an academic residency component of approximately four weeks and a domestic travel component of approximately one week. During the academic residency, participants will also have the opportunity to get out of the classroom.

The program will be conducted in English and will focus on contemporary American life, as it is shaped by historical and/or current political, social, and economic issues and debates. Students will be provided with an overview of the foundations of democracy as they learn about the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights, the federal system of government, elections, the court system, etc. Students will explore the various complex historical and contemporary issues associated with identity throughout the Americas, including race, ethnicity, and color. Participants will discuss topics related to immigration and the Latino experience in the U.S.; and will travel to New York City to visit cultural and historic sites. During their study tour they will take a five-day trip to Arizona where topics in immigration will be revisited along with a discussion of the Native-American experience. The program will conclude in Washington, D.C. where students will meet participants from Bolivia, Paraguay and Peru who participated in the concurrent Institute at the University of Arizona.

Other core components of the Institute include leadership development, community service, and fostering cross-cultural understanding. Participants will engage with Americans on campus and will also participate in a weekend homestay.

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