Local Scholarship Program FY2019 Semi-Annual Progress Report (October 2018 – March 2019)

The program's goal is to develop and sustain a cadre of skilled professionals who can apply and impart new knowledge and skills in priority areas. IIE, the implementing partner, was awarded the program by USAID in May 2015. Since the inception of the LSP Scholarship Program in May 2015, 210 students have been successfully recruited, selected, and awarded scholarships. All three cohorts' students have already started their academic studies at their host universities, including the American University in Cairo (AUC), the Arab Academy for Sciences, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT), and the British University in Egypt (BUE). IIE increased the number of Cohort 3 students from 65 to 80, including 11 students with disabilities. The total number of LSP-Private awardees is now 209 for all three cohorts, including 12 students with disabilities (3 females and 9 males). One cohort 2 male student decided to withdraw from the scholarship during this reporting period due to personal reasons. The students' university placements and fields of study are disaggregated by university, field of study, and cohort. The majority of students are enrolled in fields such as communication and mass media, economics, and computing and information technology. The LSP program accomplished a number of activities during the first half of FY2019. Three Leadership in Action Enrichment Sessions were attended by a total of 118 Cohort 1 students, four sessions by 236 Cohort 2 students, and six sessions by 296 Cohort 3 students. One Leadership Camp was attended by 79 Cohort 3 students, and one cultural trip was conducted for 65 Cohort 2 students. A Mentorship Networking Event was conducted for 63 Cohort 1 students, and a Student-led Conference was conducted and attended by 199 students. Eighty-nine Mentoring and Career Guidance sessions were conducted for 65 Cohort 2 students and 24 Cohort 1 students. One Team-building retreat was attended by 63 Cohort 1 students, and eleven Cohort 1 students completed their Study Abroad program in the U.S. The program has made significant progress in increasing the number of students with disabilities and providing them with opportunities for academic and personal support. The program's results to-date are summarized in Table (2). Currently, 209 students are enrolled in the program, with 113 females and 96 males. The number of students with disabilities is 12, with 3 females and 9 males. The program has also made progress in providing students with opportunities for service learning projects, internships, and study abroad programs. The program's activities and results demonstrate its commitment to increasing job readiness among disadvantaged students and developing a skilled and gender-balanced cadre of professionals.