13th Edition of 'Access' Succeeds in Changing Egyptian Students’ Lives

The 13th edition of the English Access Microscholarship Program (Access) concluded on Monday with students celebrating their milestone accomplishments during the program journey.

The ceremony was held at the American University in Cairo (AUC) campus in New Cairo with the presence of Daniel Rubinstein, US Ambassador to Egypt, Ahmad Dallal, President of the AUC, Curtis Chan, Director of the Regional English Language Office (RELO), and Ehab Abdel-Rahman, the AUC Provost.

A total of 173 young Egyptians from Aswan, Cairo, Port Said, and Tanta developed exceptional English language skills by completing the two-year long Program.

The graduates highlighted the advantages of “Access” and how it enabled them to break free and communicate well with the surrounding society. “It changed our lives for the best,” the students affirmed.

“My English was not that good at the beginning but I became more self-confident during the journey of the Access program,” one of the alumni indicated.

Another student pointed out that she did not acknowledge that she had a leadership trait until she joined “Access”. The girl affirmed that the program displayed and improved their skills.

On his part, Chan stressed that the program developed and maintained a high quality of education since the beginning of its launch in 2006.

“The alumni blossomed and became much more self-confident and willing to take any educational risks to try new things. They have become leaders in their own rights,” he noted.

Asked about the criteria set for those who want to join Access, the RELO’s director underscored that they mainly focus on 13-15 years old but they have a small group of 15-17 years old from vocational schools.

Chan added that students must come from a disadvantaged background, adding that they should have gender equality throughout the classes 50%-50% split between boys and girls.

Moreover, he emphasized that these requirements are set to ensure that “they offer the educational opportunities to everybody to help increase the education across Egypt.”

Regarding the needed skills, registrants should “demonstrate the potential to be able not only to finish the program but to exceed and become leaders in their own communities.”

In addition, Chan reiterated that Access welcomes students from all over the Arab Republic, not only Upper Egypt.

Besides the English language, Access enables Egyptian students to acquire and master various skills, including leadership and critical thinking. Chan said the program “aims to prepare students not only for future academic opportunities but when they move to the workforce as well.”

He underlined that there are other opportunities for Access graduates, as they can apply for scholarships funded by the U.S. government and the U.S. Embassy in Egypt to help them go further in their life.

The RELO’s director asserted that Access is open for everyone to apply and there is no specific number. Nevertheless, he stated that the number of students enrolled depends on the funding because all the funding comes from the U.S. government and the U.S. taxpayers.