Seven University of Pennsylvania students have been awarded U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarships for study during the summer of 2015:

• Tien Kartika, Chinese
• Lia Bernstein, Arabic (Morocco)
• Erik Morinaga, Indonesian
• Jacob Berexa, Hindi (India)
• Kyle Olson, Persian (Tajikistan)
• Christopher Yao, Chinese
• Brittany Puller, Punjabi (India)

They will spend seven to 10 weeks in intensive language.

The CLS Program is part of a U.S. government effort to expand dramatically the number of Americans studying and mastering critical foreign languages. It provides fully funded, group-based intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences.

Additional information about the CLS Program or other exchange programs offered by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is available at www.clscholarship.org and exchanges.state.gov.