Dozens of Caibbean nationals stand to benefit from MOU between CTO and Dozenfread
The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), the international agency responsible for the development of Caribbean tourism, has secured over US$250,000 in scholarship funds to assist Caribbean students pursuing further education in tourism –related subjects.
The CTO and Monroe College, which has been educating Caribbean students for the past twenty years, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to that effect at the Caribbean Week closing news conference today.
Monroe College will commit eighty three thousand six hundred dollars (US$83,600) annually to the CTO, to provide scholarships and grants to at least 30 highly qualified Caribbean citizens, who are interested in pursuing full time studies or advancing their careers in the tourism sector.
These scholarships will be for first time students who register at Monroe College in the US or St. Lucia, or for the college’s online course.
As part of the agreement negotiated by the CTO’s New York office, the scholarship awards will range from US $4,500 to US $18,660 annually, and will be equally distributed over three semesters.
“It is expected that collaborative relationships can be established that will strengthen educational and business ties between the two parties while providing the highest quality of education to students enrolled at the institution,” the two parties stated.
The deal is for three years in the first instance, but will be reviewed each year.
The relationship between CTO and Monroe College began late 2010 when a Trinidad and Tobago national, Ms. Tamika Keane , became the recipient of the first-ever scholarship offered by Monroe College as part of the CTO Foundation Scholarship Programme.
Founded in 1933, Monroe College is recognized as a leading provider of focused, career-oriented, quality education which integrates classroom learning with real-world experience. The College, which also has an offshore campus on the island of St. Lucia, is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Associations of Colleges and Schools in the United States.
The CTO offers scholarships and grants through its scholarship programme, the CTO Foundation, which was set up in 1997, and is registered in New York State as a Not-for-Profit Corporation.
The academic dean at Monroe College, Michele Rodney signed on behalf of the education institution, while the CTO chairman, Hon. Ricky Skerritt signed for the organization.
About the Caribbean Tourism Organization
The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), with the headquarters in Barbados and marketing operations in New York and London, is the Caribbean’s tourism development agency and comprises membership of over 30 governments and a myriad of private sector entities.
The CTO’s mission is to provide to and through its members, the services and information needed for the development of sustainable tourism for the economic and social benefit of the Caribbean people. The organization provides specialized support and technical assistance to member countries in the areas of marketing, human resource development, research and statistics, information technology, advocacy and sustainable tourism development. The CTO disseminates information on behalf of its member governments to consumers and the travel trade.
The CTO’s New York office is located at 80 Broad St., 32nd Floor, New York, NY 10004, USA: Tel: (212) 635-9530; Fax: (212) 635-9511; E-mail: ctony@caribtourism.com; CTO’s London office is located at The Quadrant, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1BP, England. Tel: 011 44 208 948 0057; Fax: 011 44 208 948 0067; E-mail: ctolondon@caribtourism.com; CTO Headquarters is located at Ground Floor, Baobab Tower, Warrens, St, Michael, Barbados; Tel: (246) 427-5242; Fax: (246) 429-3065; E-mail: ctobarbados@caribtourism.com. For more information, please visit www.caribbeantravel.com or www.onecaribbean.org. Get the latest CTO updates on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ctotourism. Connect with CTO on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CaribbeanTourismOrganization
