The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) will welcome 139 first-year Fulbright Foreign Students from 68 countries March 20-23 for a Fulbright Enrichment Seminar on the theme “Civic Engagement – Education and Youth Empowerment.” in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The seminar will explore the efforts of governments, organizations, and individuals to give a voice to young people and facilitate their participation in decisions about issues that affect them. The four-day event is administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE).

The seminar, at the Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel, will feature keynote speakers, panel discussions, interactive workshops, community service, and site visits. Participating Fulbright students will develop a better understanding of U.S. contemporary life and culture, policy formulation, and public attitudes on an array of important issues.

Marianne Craven, the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of ECA, Dr. Christie Gilson, a member of the presidentially appointed J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, and Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, keynote speaker, will be available for interviews. Fulbright foreign students, alumni, and experts from the morning panel session may also be interviewed upon request.

Press must RSVP to attend any of the following events.

Thursday, March 20

Keynote address by Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at the Senator John Heinz History Center.

Friday, March 21

Panel discussion entitled “Youth Empowerment” from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., at the Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel featuring:

Saturday, March 22

Pittsburgh Youth Cares community service activities with Fulbright students from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at various sites.

Contact Tony Claudino from IIE, tclaudino@iie.org, (212) 984 -5345, or Amy Bowman from Stanton Communications, abowman@stantoncomm.com, (410) 727-6855 to register.

The Fulbright Program, the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program, is supported by the people of the United States and partner countries around the world. Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 325,000 participants from over 155 countries with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.

The Pittsburgh Fulbright Visiting Student Enrichment Seminar is one of nine enrichment seminars hosted across the United States by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in 2014. These enrichment seminars are an integral part of the Fulbright experience for first-year Fulbright Foreign Students, and support the overall mission of the Fulbright Program, to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.

A 2013 Fulbright Enrichment Seminars video demonstrates their impact. For more information, about Fulbright enrichment activities, please click here.

For further information about ECA and the Fulbright Program, please contact ECA_Press@state.gov, (202) 632-6445.