YEAR ONE QUARTER ONE REPORT: American University of Beirut University Scholarship Program (7) Cycle 3

The main objective of the scholarship is to provide young students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds in the 26 districts of Lebanon with access to high-quality college education. The scholarship includes full coverage of tuition fees, housing or transportation allowances, books, a laptop, and monthly stipends. During their stay at AUB, students must maintain a good academic status while being involved in community service projects and work outside the university in fields related to their majors. A Labor Market Survey (LMS) was conducted to evaluate the labor market in Lebanon and the region. The survey aimed to provide graduating students with the best guidance to support their career goals and secure their future vision. The LMS solicited feedback from several employers to understand the inter and technical skills needed in the job market. Department chairs at AUB were interviewed to seek recommendations and advice on market demands and the number of graduates per academic year. The survey resulted in a list of majors for regular public school students to apply to, including Landscape Architecture, Nutrition and Dietetics, Chemistry, Computer Sciences, Economics, and others. The program's outreach material was prepared in collaboration with the Lebanese American University (LAU) management team. The coordination meeting took place at LAU on November 8, 2017, under the guidance of the USAID AOR and the presence of LAU and AUB management teams. Special considerations were given to gender messaging, program dissemination, and media outreach. The application document was reviewed and verified by USAID AOR before proceeding to final clearance. The program was released to printing in preparation for school visits scheduled during the second quarter of the recruitment year. The content of the newspaper and social media advertisements was prepared by the LAU team and shared with the AUB team for review. The Office of Communications' Digital Media Director and Art Director provided feedback on the advertisement dimensions, position, and outreach. Five different campaigning approaches were proposed for implementation during the quarter, including improving reach through a unified Facebook and Instagram ad for both LAU and AUB. The advertisement will appear as a right-hand ad as well as a boosted ad on the Facebook and Instagram feed. The estimated number of potential outreach to beneficiaries is expected to be high, with a unified ad appearing on the Facebook and Instagram feed as a big image.