SEP Brochure - Draft

Student Enrichment Program

Developing a Global Mindset

Program Approved by:

Navigating the Academic, Social and Cultural Environment

In the past 10-15 years, the world has changed dramatically and diversity is a fact of life. The majority of Information Workers deal with people from a different culture or ethnic group almost on a daily basis. The question then becomes, “Do we want to acknowledge that diversity and learn about it and benefit by learning, or leave it to chance?” There is much to be gained in learning about other cultures. This is the reason students with a global mindset will continue to be a hot commodity in the 21st Century Global Economy. The path to this objective is a not as simple as one may imagine because surviving and thriving in the 21st Century Global Economy will require additional qualities. Culture is central to the experience of living in an environment different from one’s own. In the era of technology advances and globalization, the building and maintenance of business and personal relationships across cultures has become a necessity. Students’ who have cross-cultural exposure while still in Schools, are better equipped to manage intercultural relations and thrive as they have exposure to cultural insights and the best practices from around the world, and adopt a global outlook. Student Enrichment Program gives students from India an opportunity to attend an American school for a week, learn about the different cultures, and acquire transferable skills that will be useful to them and will remain with them for life.

This program is a MUST for the student looking for admission in top US Universities, as it empowers them with an interesting story to tell on the application: an American immersion experience and just an academic credit.

The trip will also result in more well-rounded individuals, giving participating students ability to see things from different perspectives and give them the knowledge to be able to make informed decisions in this fast changing world.

as an International Student.

Student Enrichment Program in Iowa is an intense and exciting program for high school students from India, where the student participant will:

Get an opportunity to study in an American high school for 1 week

Get to know learning methodologies and environments in American schools

Study and collaborate in classroom environment

Spend additional time performing an internship and/or volunteering in the community

Develop English language, literature and research skills

Become involved in activities such as swimming, biking, running which all lead to appropriate certifications

More deeply understand, learn, experience and reflect on a unique American culture

Enjoy Iowa in a relaxed setting, getting to know the nearby colonies of early Iowa settlers and other communities of rural and Midwest America, cruise the Mississippi River, visit university campuses in Iowa and Chicago, and attend football and ice hockey games

Engage with political and social leaders, government officials, academicians and researchers, and entrepreneurs

Letter from Cedar Rapid Community School District

DAY ACTIVITY PLAN REMARK Day 1 Meet at IGIA, Delhi. Enroute Day 2 Reach Port of Entry, Chicago

Drive to Iowa Check in at Best Western-Cedar Rapids

Arrival in the USA

Day 3 Late breakfast/brunch. Meet and greet (student reps, school officials, teachers, and volunteers in program) Evening tour of city for landmarks and to familiarize Dinner with LBA/TLPS teachers and team

Fellowship & getting to know each other

Day 4 7:45 AM at high school. Breakfast in school cafeteria, 8:30 AM Attend class 11:30 AM Lunch at school followed by 1:00 to 3:00 PM Rest in hotel room 3:00-5:00 PM Workshops followed by 6:00 PM Dinner 6:30-8:30 PM Enrichment activities

Activity – LBA Workshop – Literature and Language

Day 5 7:45 AM at high school. Breakfast in school cafeteria, 8:30 AM Attend class 11:30 AM Lunch at school followed by 1:00 to 3:00 PM Rest in hotel room 3:00-5:00 PM Workshops followed by 6:00 PM Dinner 6:30-8:30 PM Enrichment activities

Activity – Volunteer with LBA

Day 6 7:45 AM at high school. Breakfast in school cafeteria, 8:30 AM Attend class 11:30 AM Lunch at school followed by 1:00 to 3:00 PM Rest in hotel room 3:00-5:00 PM Workshops followed by 6:00 PM Dinner 6:30-8:30 PM Enrichment activities

Activity – LBA Workshop – Literature and Language

Day 7 7:45 AM at high school. Breakfast in school cafeteria, 8:30 AM Attend class 11:30 AM Lunch at school followed by 1:00 to 3:00 PM Rest in hotel room 3:00-5:00 PM Workshops followed by 6:00 PM Dinner 6:30-8:30 PM Enrichment activities

Activity – LBA game Workshop – American History by Doug Wagner

Day 8 7:45 AM at high school. Breakfast in school cafeteria, 8:30 AM Attend class 11:30 AM Lunch at school followed by 1:00 to 3:00 PM Rest in hotel room 3:00-5:00 PM Workshops followed by 6:00 PM Dinner 6:30-8:30 PM Enrichment activities

Activity – LBA Workshop – Literature and Language

Day 9 Tour of Amana Colonies of early Iowa settlers, country and rural Midwest Breakfast in hotel and Lunch in the Amana Colonies

Activity – LBA

Day 10 All-American Breakfast at Iowa River Power Company Ice skating and lunch, Tours of manufacturing and high-tech companies

Activity Day- Games

Day 11 7:45 AM at high school. Breakfast in school cafeteria, 8:30 AM Attend class 11:30 AM Lunch at school followed by 1:00 to 3:00 PM Rest in hotel room 3:00-5:00 PM Workshops, 6 PM Dinner by India Association

Activity – LBA Workshop – by Doug Wagner

Day 12 Early morning breakfast Leave Cedar Rapids, Lunch in Davenport, Iowa on the Mississippi River Reach Chicago by 3 PM Visit Willis Towers and participate in city tours, Check in to hotel in Chicago

Activity in Chicago

Day 13 Pack and leave for breakfast on the Chicago Lake Shore Visit Shedd Aquarium and the Museum of Natural History Arrive back at the hotel at 1 PM to freshen up, Depart for airport

Last Day

Day 14 Return to Delhi Enroute

#The Activity Plan assumes departure from Delhi on Friday night and is subject to change.

DAY TO DAY ACTIVITY PLAN

Stay – BEST WESTERN HOTEL The BEST WESTERN hotel is only three blocks from the US Cellular arena. The Paramount Theater Cedar Rapids and Rockwell Collins are also in the neighborhood. No other Cedar Rapids hotel combines such exceptional quality with a very affordable price and no hidden fees.

Clean and comfortable rooms in the Downtown Cedar Rapids hotel are just the beginning. Friendly staff and service ensure that every guest feels right at home.

This Cedar Rapids hotel is close to all of the action like the BBQ Roundup Cedar Rapids. Tap into cultural side at the Czech National Museum and Amana Colonies. The Czech Village Cedar Rapids and New Bo (Bohemian) District Cedar Rapids are both must-sees. Nothing beats a day of top notch shopping and sightseeing. Features & Amenities includes: • Fitness Center • Pool • High Speed Internet • Restaurant Onsite • Hot Tub • Room Service • Eco-Friendly

Who will supervise - Trained Local Coordinators

US Visa The School board will provide with an invite for the students who are registered for this program. This is a short stay program which involves less than 18.5 hours of class work. The participants are not eligible for F1 or J1 visa but only for B1/B2 visa.

Food Breakfast and lunch are generally provided in the school. Vegetarian and non- vegetarian options are available. All meals include milk, fruit, vegetable, grain, meat/meat alternative.

Downtown Cedar Rapids is full of life! This district features a variety of dining and shopping options, a vibrant arts and culture community.

Team Behind It

SYAM CHANDRA Engineer by training, an academician/trainer by trade, researcher by passion. Born in Kerala, spend my adult life living in different places, kind of a global nomad. Now live with wife and son and teach in Canada, and practice in USA mainly from Boston. Associated with NACAC, OCACA, ACA, and ASCA.

PANKAJ RAI Director & CEO- India CyberLearning Pvt. Ltd. Former Chief Operating Officer- National Education Foundation (USA) Moved back to India in late 2006 after spending over 6+ years in eLearning Industry in the USA. Involved in Digital Education for over 10 years. Brought the Microsoft Office Specialist Certifications, the Adobe Certified Associate Certifications to India. Launched India’s first ever Contest on MS Office www.compudon.in and produced first World Champion in Microsoft Office PowerPoint from India in 2014!

PROF. NOAH SIELA A highly experienced and passionate individual, a veteran in delivering training programs, and spend years in teaching (at university level (University of Maryland, University of Iowa), in liberal arts colleges (Kirkwood, Coe college) and in high school classrooms). Winner of Stanley Plumly Thesis Award as well as winner of The Academy of American Poets Prize (judged by National Book Critics Circle Award Winner Mary Jo Bang). Published writer/poet.

DOUG WAGNER A specialist/consultant and trainer, in the areas of communication, media and public relations. Specifically, Mr. Wagner's professional experience includes service as Press Secretary to the Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Banking and Financial Services, and as Chief of Staff to the Mayor and Executive Assistant to the City Council for the City of Cedar Rapids.

Transitions Lab Preparatory School is a consulting and training group specializing in admissions counseling and competence development. TLPS training solutions get results through increased self-awareness, experience-based training and continuous coaching. The TLPS approach revolves around tailoring specific learning opportunities to match each student’s unique goals and challenges. TLPS follows the best practices laid out by professional organizations like National Association of College Admission Counselors (NACAC) and American Counseling Association (ACA). Also, TLPS is an active member of Overseas Association for College Admission Counselors (OACAC) and the American School Counselors Association (ASCA). All TLPS consultants are members of various professional organizations, covered by various professional and liability insurances. TLPS follow guidelines set by apex professional associations and agencies; privacy and confidentiality is a part of our core philosophy. TLPS not only develops plans and ideas for the application, but also works with both students and parents to implement them. TLPS creates opportunities to experience everything from volunteering with Doctors without Borders to attending a summer program at Johns Hopkins University…from guiding research in a topic for which they are passionate to presenting the findings in an international conference and getting it published, we are there for students and parents each step of the way. TLPS empowers our students with knowledge, ideas and facts. We encourage our students to be bold, innovative and to step out of their comfort zones in the college application process. TLPS believes applying to US schools is a unique experience and it gives a young adult the opportunity to flesh out who they are in a three-dimensional way. We endeavor to make it an enjoyable, thrilling and refreshing experience for our students and their families. Our organized campus visits for candidates and their families from India include voyages to Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Williams and NYU. Reservations, hotels, tours, and flights are all arranged by TLPS staff. TLPS consultants guide visitors, in person, through the campus tours. TLPS is already committed to more personalized tours in the autumn season. Main Office: 2320 E Ave N, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA 52402 Boston Office: One International Place, Suite 1400, Boston, MA 02116 Canada Office: 75 Carling St, Suite 309, Hamilton, ON L8S1N1

TRANSITIONS LAB PREPARATORY SCHOOL

India CyberLearning Pvt. Ltd. (CyberLearning) is an Academic Partner of Microsoft and is a provider of global information technology (IT) learning solutions & certifications since 2007. Currently, CyberLearning offers its solutions to individuals, enterprises, academic institutions and training organizations across India. CyberLearning is part of the worldwide network of organizations working with Microsoft, HP, Autodesk & Adobe’s global partner Certiport Inc. (USA). CyberLearning has developed and operates country’s largest testing center network in “Information worker category” certifications through its network of over 1,300 test centers. CyberLearning has to its credit, the introduction of the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS), the Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA), the Adobe Certified Associate (ACA), the HP Accredited Technical Associate (HP-ATA), and the Internet & Computing Core Certification (IC3) in India. CyberLearning has created brands like Office Champion, and COMPUDON. CyberLearning has an Exclusive Agreement with Transitions Lab Preparatory School (Boston, USA) to help Students from India gain admissions in top 50 Universities in the USA and to assist Schools in India to help their students benefit from Student Enrichment Programs to USA. CyberLearning’s Solutions include: Office Address: India CyberLearning Pvt. Ltd., C-56/22, 3rd Floor, Sector 62, Noida-201301 (U.P)

• Student Enrichment Program(s) to USA • Prometheus- Cloud based Test Engine for Schools &

Training Centers • Administration of global Certifications from Microsoft,

Adobe, HP & Certiport • Microsoft IT Academy Program • Video based eLearning & LMS

• Technology Enhanced Instruction Workshops for Teachers

• Technology Workshops for Students • Microsoft Official Academic Curricula (MOAC) • MS Press • International Experts Video Courses on DVD • Practice Exams for Global Certifications

TRANSITIONS LAB PREPARATORY SCHOOL Boston. Toronto. Iowa. Hyderabad. Mumbai. Ahmedabad. Delhi.