Support the Dream Scholarship

Do you want to have a direct impact on a Panamanian student’s education? Do you want to prepare Panama’s youth to get great jobs in today’s globalized world? Do you want to improve cross-cultural understanding between the United States and Panama?Then support the Dream Scholarship!Leland Lazarus, a US Fulbright Scholar who teaches English at the University of Panama, created the Dream Scholarship. Raised in New York, but with Panamanian parents from Colon, Leland wanted to give back to the country of his ancestors. So with a $10,000 donation from the US embassy and the help from the Fulbright Alumni Association in Panama, he created the Dream scholarship, named after Dr. Martin Luther King’s momentous speech. It will help undergraduate English students at the University of Panama (UP) reach their dream of getting a well-rounded English education in the US, and contributing to US-Panamanian cross-cultural understanding.

Many students at UP do not have a deep understanding of English in a U.S. cultural context. Currently there are no study abroad programs available for UP students, and private study abroad scholarships are too expensive for them, since many are socioeconomically disadvantaged.

Also, Panama’s economy is developing rapidly, and there is a large demand for fluent English speakers in the job market. Few Panamanians, however, can obtain these jobs due to limited English language skills. This program will give students the English education they need to work for businesses, hotels, and tourism companies where English is crucial. 

The scholarship will send students to Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky, where they will take a two-month intensive English language course, a class on US history and culture, and a preparation class to take the TOEFL exam. Also, students will go on field trips to famous US cities such as Louisville, KY; St. Louis, MO; Nashville, TN; and Chicago, IL.
Your contribution will have a direct impact on these students' professional and personal lives. Please help these students’ dreams become a reality.


For more information, please visit our website at indiegogo.com/projects/the-dream-scholarship

You can also contact Leland Lazarus at 68261901 or email him at Leland.lazarus@gmail.com

Leland Lazarus (center) has spent the last 8 months teaching his students English. But he has also taught them US culture, football being an important part!