What 
Why
Who
Where
When
Costs
Apply
What
This innovative summer program is for rising NC Juniors and Seniors who have reached an advanced level in studying Spanish.
Participants are introduced to the global workplace through a 5-week summer program held partially in NC and partially in
Puebla, Mexico. In NC, students participate in team building, foreign language and cross-cultural
instruction, and are introduced to how the program's corporate partners do business in NC. While abroad, students
experience a total immersion in the local culture-living with a host family, participating in cultural activities and
advanced language classes, and working part time as unpaid interns at local branches of companies that also operate in NC.
Piloted in a single Global Communicators District in 2008, the Global Business Preparatory Program (GBPP) will expand
to include all Global Communicator and Global Districts schools in coming years. Applicants must already have
and be able to demonstrate Spanish language proficiency.
The GBPP is sponsored by the CIBERs at UNC and Duke University 
and the Center for International Understanding as part of NC in the World , and the Universidad Popular Autónoma del Estado de Puebla (UPAEP).
Why
North Carolina high school graduates need to understand global issues and other cultures in order to thrive in the 21st Century. Being globally aware means being prepared to interact with the world, both inside and outside our borders. This program is designed
- to give students a chance to experience global business first hand by working with a company that has a presence in both their home country and the partner country
- to give companies in the students' home country a chance to show those
students that their home town/state is more global than they might
think (and therefore a place to think about working in after they
finish school)
- to give students a chance to utilize a second language that they have learned or are studying in a meaningful, hands-on way in the culture where that language is spoken
Who
The GBPP is intended for rising High School juniors and seniors who are taking or have already taken Spanish IV. Graduating seniors may apply as well, but should be aware that even if they are 18 years old at the time of the program they will be bound to the same rules as underaged students.
Where
The program begins and ends with residencies on the UNC Chapel Hill campus. The majority of the program will be spent living and working in Puebla, Mexico.
Puebla is located about 60 miles southeast of Mexico City in a valley surrounded by volcanoes and snow capped mountains. Founded in 1531, Puebla is now an important industrial, cultural and education center-there are more than 20 universities located in the city! It is also the capital of the state of Puebla. The city has a population of more than 1 million people, and the surrounding metropolitan area of 2.1 million residents is one of the largest in Mexico. Pueblo's climate is temperate year round, although rain is likely during the summer.
You can learn more about Puebla by visiting the following sites:
When
The program will be offered in summer 2010; applications will be due in early March.
Costs
While the total program cost is more than $5,000 per person, the bulk of this is being covered by the program sponsors and
corporate donations. Students will only need to pay their airfare (about $850) and a $500 non-refundable program
fee. Need-based financial support may be available from the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise. Detailed information on possible financial support will be made available to those who meet initial qualifications.
Apply
Students will be able to apply online beginning in early 2010.
In the meantime, contact
with any questions.
GBP Preparatory Program