WY was recently accepted by the Council on International Education Exchange (CIEE) to apply to their Global Navigator Scholarship program out of 10 other Chicago high schools. Because WY is known for having a strong foreign language department, it has been given $20,000 in scholarship funds for students to travel to foreign countries this summer. Students may apply for the chance to study abroad.

The summer study abroad programs are offered by CIEE, a leader in international education. The CIEE provides academics and cultural immersion in 16 places around the world through trips that are between three and four weeks long. Students have the availability to travel to countries such as Italy, Spain, France, Japan, and Ireland.

These scholarships are awarded based on a combination of financial need, merit, and a passion for the programs provided. Merit is evaluated based on students’ high school transcript, GPA, and quality of the application. Financial aid is also provided and must be submitted with a separate application through the Global Navigator Scholarship fund.

There are three programs to choose from. The first is Language and Culture, where students can stay with a host family and be immersed in another language such as Spanish, French, Mandarin Chinese, German, Japanese, Italian or Arabic.

The second program is Service & Leadership, which lets students take part in a community project that can focus on Children’s Rights, Education or Public Health. Partaking in this will earn a certificate of 45 service hours.

The last program, Content Studies, allows students to explore their interests abroad in places such as Botswana, Bonaire, Spain, or Ireland. Programs among these include Communication Arts, Environmental Science, Global Entrepreneurship, or Marine Science.

All current freshmen, sophomores and juniors are eligible to apply on the CIEE website. Any questions should be directed to French teacher Ivy Fetalino and English teacher Erin Franklin. The deadline for applications, including financial aid, is March 1, 2015.