American Foreign Service Association Teams Up with Semester at Sea Program and Booz Allen Hamilton on Annual High School Essay Contest

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) announces a new partnership with the world-renowned Semester at Sea study abroad program and technology consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton to increase the scope of its international education activities for America's students.

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Since 1999, AFSA has sponsored a National High School Essay Contest to generate interest in the U.S. Foreign Service. Each year, the contest sparks the imagination and creativity of thousands of students across the nation and world. Under the new partnership, the winning essayist will receive a full scholarship for an upcoming Semester at Sea voyage as well as a trip to Washington, D.C. for a special awards ceremony.

The 2012 high school essay topic was announced today as follows: "Explain what you would do as a diplomat in the U.S. Foreign Service to improve the relations between the U.S. and your country/organization of choice, and how the major foreign policy differences between them might best be handled in our national interest." Students can focus one of the following nations/organizations: Afghanistan, Cuba, Egypt, Japan, Pakistan, South Sudan, The United Nations, or Venezuela. Learn more about the contest rules, deadline, and prizes at www.afsa.org/essay_contest.

AFSA Executive Director Ian Houston commented, the Semester at Sea program "deserves great credit for forging this partnership with AFSA and demonstrating their support for the enhancement of America's future diplomatic service." He added, "We look forward to many top students participating in these outstanding international study programs in coming years."

"Gaining a global perspective—that is, a worldview that acknowledges a degree of interconnectedness and intercultural awareness within and among societies—is imperative," said ISE/SAS President Les McCabe. "The agreement between AFSA and the Institute for Shipboard Education can highlight the relevance of all international education and study abroad programs, and increase awareness of the importance of a multi-country, global-comparative education."

Established in 1963, Semester at Sea is the only study abroad program of its kind in the world. Using a ship as its traveling campus, students, faculty, and lecturers live and learn together while circumnavigating the globe each fall and spring semester and exploring a world region each May and summer term. Participants earn transferable credit from the University of Virginia (U.Va.), the program's academic sponsor. More than 55,000 individuals representing 1,500 institutions have traveled to more than 60 countries since the program's inception. Semester at Sea is administered by the nonprofit Institute for Shipboard Education in Charlottesville, Va.

Booz Allen Hamilton has been at the forefront of strategy and technology consulting for nearly a century. Today, the firm provides services primarily to the U.S. government in defense, intelligence, and civil markets, and to major corporations, institutions, and not-for-profit organizations. Booz Allen offers clients deep functional knowledge spanning strategy and organization, engineering and operations, technology, and analytics—which it combines with specialized expertise in clients' mission and domain areas to help solve their toughest problems. Booz Allen is headquartered in McLean, Virginia, employs more than 25,000 people, and had revenue of $5.59 billion for the 12 months ended March 31, 2011. To learn more, visit www.boozallen.com. (NYSE: BAH)

For more information about the essay content, please contact Tom Switzer at 202-944-5501.

About AFSA
AFSA, the voice of the Foreign Service, is the professional association and labor union of the U.S. Foreign Service. Founded in 1924, AFSA represents 28,000 active and retired Foreign Service employees at the Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development, Foreign Commercial Service, Foreign Agricultural Service, and International Broadcasting Bureau.

Contact: Tom Switzer, AFSA Director of Communications, 202-944-5501
Contact: Lauren Heinz, ISE/SAS VP of Communications, 434-249-2424

SOURCE Semester at Sea