The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) will welcome 130 first-year Fulbright Foreign Students April 10-13 for a Fulbright Enrichment Seminar on the theme “Social Entrepreneurship: Rethinking Community Development” in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. The seminar will allow participating Fulbright students to develop a better understanding of topics related to social entrepreneurship and innovation in the context of U.S. community development. Participants will also explore public attitudes on an array of important local issues such as environmental sustainability and education, culminating in an in-depth look into the history of the Twin Cities, including the area’s American Indian heritage. The four-day event is administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE).
A member of the presidentially appointed J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, Dr. Shelby F. Lewis, and a representative from the U.S. Department of State, will be available for comment upon request. Also available for interview upon request are Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker Lisa Blackstone, of Blackstone Productions, and keynote speaker Fred Rose, co-director of the Acara Institute, a social entrepreneurship program at the University of Minnesota Institute on the Environment.
Members of the press must RSVP to attend any of the following events:
Thursday, April 10
- Keynote address by Fred Rose, co-director of the Acara Institute at the University of Minnesota Institute on the Environment, and co-founder of the non-profit High-Tech Kids, from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Walker Art Center (1750 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis, MN).
Friday, April 11
- Panel discussion entitled “The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Sustainable Community Development” from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Millennium Hotel Minneapolis (1313 Nicollet Mall) featuring: Tim Marx, Chief Executive Officer, Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis; Rebecca Parrell, Project Coordinator, Community Planning and Economic Development, City of Minneapolis; Kimberly Foster Price, Vice President, Community Affairs, 3M Company
Friday, April 11
- Community service activities from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at:
Pillsbury United Communities
The Salvation Army
Second Harvest Heartland
Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, ReStore
Saturday, April 12
- Panel discussion entitled “St. Paul and Minneapolis—Back to the Future” from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. in the Loring room at the Millennium Hotel featuring Lisa Blackstone, Emmy-winning director/producer/writer/editor for Blackstone Productions.
The Minneapolis & St. Paul Fulbright Visiting Student Enrichment Seminar is one of nine enrichment seminars hosted by the State Department in 2014 as part of its flagship Fulbright Program. These enrichment seminars are an important part of the Fulbright experience for first-year Fulbright Foreign Students, supporting the overall mission to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.
Press attendance is by RSVP only.
For further information about ECA and the Fulbright Program, please contact ECA_Press@state.gov, (202) 632-6445.
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