A Program of the U.S. Department of State
Alumni Development Fund
The CLS Alumni Development Fund (ADF) periodically offers small grants to alumni
of the CLS Program through a competitive application process. The ADF has provided opportunities for alumni to continue their language
learning, pursue career development goals, and participate in community
outreach related to CLS languages and their corresponding world
regions. Particular emphasis is placed on projects with an impact beyond
the individual applicant, reaching students, CLS alumni, or others in
their community.
The ADF is not currently open for applications.
Examples of previous Alumni Development Fund projects can be found below.
Sara Davidson (Korean 2011), a 2016 ADF recipient, used her grant to host a series outreach meetings for Korean college students interested in study abroad and international engagement. She held events in Cheonju, Daejeon, and Seoul at local cafes near major universities in each city. “Engagement like this (particularly in a friendly, positive, and intellectually stimulating environment), even ju…
Sara Davidson
Korean 2011
Korean 2011
Nicole Conseugra (Chinese 2016) and Franklin Hernandez (Chinese 2016), 2016 ADF recipients, used their grant to plan and host a Chinese New Year Gala Program at Florida International University on February 4th. The event was meant to promote education and awareness of China’s most important social and economic holiday, as well as to broaden interest in Mandarin courses and Chinese culture at FIU.…
Nicole Conseugra
Chinese 2016
Chinese 2016
Franklin Hernandez
Chinese 2016
Chinese 2016
Elizabeth Buckner (Arabic 2008), a 2016 ADF recipient, coordinated and hosted a public event that highlighted student and faculty research that is related to refugee education, focused on the Middle East and North Africa, and, more specifically, on responses to the Syrian refugee crisis. Six speakers addressed various aspects of these issues and shared their academic works with the audience (appr…
Elizabeth Buckner
Arabic 2008
Arabic 2008
Madeline de Figueiredo (Arabic 2016) and Nicholas Posegay (Arabic 2016), 2016 ADF recipients, launched the University of Chicago’s first Arabic-language publication, a literary magazine titled “UChicago Majalla.” The first issue of the magazine was printed in December 2016 as an educational tool and unifying force among Arabic learners at the university. Students from all years and degree program…
Madeline de Figueiredo
Arabic 2016
Arabic 2016
Nicholas Posegay
Arabic 2016
Arabic 2016
Patrick Bohnenkamp (Arabic 2015), a 2016 ADF recipient, used his funding to hold two community forums titled “Arabic: A Language of Beauty and History” at the Fort Madison Public Library in Fort Madison, Iowa. He wanted to provide an environment in which he could share his experiences with learning Arabic with his community as well as encourage dialogue. He provided Arab snacks and sweets along w…
Patrick Bohnenkamp
Arabic 2015
Arabic 2015