Summer study (including financial support): Southeast Asian Studi es Summer Institute (SEASSI)

[Scott McGinnis]

>Dear Colleagues,
>	This message is to alert you to the fact that applications
>are now available for those who wish to study Hmong, Lao or Khmer at
>the Southeast Asian Studies Summer Institute (SEASSI) in the summer
>of 2001.  These intensive courses meet five days a week for four
>plus hours a day for nine weeks.  Other languages offered are
>Burmese, Filipino, Indonesian, Javanese, Thai and Vietnamese.  As
>you work with and advise students and community members who would
>like to gain or improve their skills in one these languages, please
>keep SEASSI in mind.
>	There is one program which I would especially like to request
>your help in promoting; this is the Hmong, Lao, Khmer Heritage
>Language Project.  Through this program Hmong, Lao and Khmer
>students and community members who qualify for university level
>course work may study in a class specifically designed to teach
>literacy skills.  These classes are designed for those who are
>already speakers of Hmong or Lao or Khmer.  Participants will take a
>placement test to see if they qualify for these classes.  These
>classes will give them six credits of course work in Hmong or Lao or
>Khmer at the second year level.
>	There are a number of kinds of financial aid available for
>this program.  Of particular interest are the Hmong, Lao and Khmer
>Language Student Awards. With initial support from the Henry Luce
>Foundation, SEASSI at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has
>committed funding for five awards of full SEASSI tuition ($2,000)
>plus a living stipend ($1200).  The aim of these fellowships is to
>promote the study of Hmong, Lao and Khmer languages by students of
>Hmong, Lao and Cambodian heritage.  Due to the limited funds
>available, all eligible applicants are strongly encouraged to also
>apply for FLAS and tuition fellowships.
>	Information about SEASSI; the Hmong, Lao and Khmer heritage
>courses; and financial aid and applications may be found on the
>SEASSI website at
>http://wiscinfo.doit.wisc.edu/seassi/
>For immediate response contact SEASSI Coordinator Mary Jo Studenberg
>at 608-263-1755
>Inquiries specifically about Hmong or Lao may be made directly to
>me, Carol Compton, at 608-265-7908.
>	It is important that we get the information about our
>heritage language literacy classes to as widespread an audience
>within the Hmong, Lao and Khmer communities as possible.  Your
>assistance in doing this will be greatly appreciated by SEASSI and
>by the students who come to study here in the summer of 2001.
>Planning to take a whole summer out of one's life to study language
>is a big step.  We want to make this a valuable learning experience
>for students.  I welcome your ideas and suggestions on disseminating
>this information and planning for the summer.
>
>With thanks and respect,
>Carol J. Compton, Ph.D.
>Coordinator, Hmong and Lao Heritage Language Project
>4223 Humanities Building, 455 N. Park Street
>University of Wisconsin
>Madison, WI 53706
>Phone:  608-265-7908
>FAX:  608-263-3735