On April 14, the College Horizons Outreach Program (CHOP), offered to members of the Afro-Bolivian community in Cochabamba, will begin a new series of classes with 30 students who are receiving scholarships from the United States Embassy to learn English.
“You will not only learn English, but you will also acquire skills that empower you as leaders in your Afro-Bolivian communities,” said United States Embassy Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. Jarahn Hillsman during the opening of the program.
Participants, their families and representatives of Ciudad Mundo and Smart Sept Language Center, implementing partners of the program, attended the inauguration ceremony.
CHOP has been present in Bolivia since 2006 and in Cochabamba since 2008, where it has reached more than 200 participants. The program is also offered in La Paz and Santa Cruz. CHOP consists of two years of English classes for participants to reach an upper intermediate level. The program funds all study expenses and materials for participants.
In addition, CHOP students receive a transportation voucher and participate in a mentoring or academic and personal coaching program. Throughout the training, scholarship recipients engage in a series of extracurricular activities to revitalize their roots and cultural identity in the Afro-Bolivian community.