For Immediate Release

Media Contact: Bridget Lewison
		Associate director, Public Relations
		(909) 621-8219
		bridget_lewison@pitzer.edu

		
Pitzer College-based CISEP Receives Renewal Grant

CLAREMONT, Calif. – (Feb. 18, 2002) -- The Claremont International Studies Education 
Project (CISEP), based at Pitzer College, has received a renewal grant of $217,000 from the 
State of California to fund the program for 2002-03. Established at Pitzer in 2000, CISEP is a 
program focused on professional teacher development in the kindergarten through high-school 
levels in eastern Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County. It is one of 13 
regional centers for the California International Studies Project (CISP) and is co-sponsored by 
academic centers at Pitzer, Scripps College and Claremont Graduate University. The other area 
site, the Inland Empire Consortium for International Studies (IECIS), is based at the office of 
the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools.
"This award is a great tribute to Pitzer and all the hard work our site director, Jackie 
Purdy, has put into building CISEP as a new site," said Nigel Boyle, associate professor of 
political studies at Pitzer College and faculty director for the CISEP project. "The statewide 
leadership of the California International Studies Education Project subject has clearly identified 
CISEP as one of the strongest of the sites providing professional development for social studies 
and world-history teachers. At Pitzer, CISEP's mission -- to build on-going connections 
between local public education, particularly in low-performing schools, and the college -- has 
been fully embraced."
CISEP is designed to develop teacher leaders through an on-going series of seminars and 
conferences on contemporary scholarship and teaching techniques – giving primary attention to 
areas of international studies, world history and technology-based educational tools. Following 
the informational sessions, teacher leaders relay new information and skills to other teachers in 
their respective schools. The teacher leaders continue to attend CISEP sessions and act as 
liaisons between CISEP and their schools, thus creating an on-going dialogue between local 
teachers and Pitzer faculty on enhancing education.
The renewal grant reflects 100 percent of funds requested for the program, up from 
$184,000 in 2001-02 and $125,000 in 2000-01, which, according to Boyle, is a surprising 
accomplishment given the fiscal austerity the state is practicing with most subject-matter 
projects, with many being omitted.
"To receive 100 percent of the funds requested is a wonderful tribute to the work of 
Jackie, Nigel and the faculty and staff at Pitzer who have been part of this vibrant program," 
said Tom Manley, Pitzer's senior vice president for advancement. "And special thanks to Jackie 
who managed to secure the award in a year when other projects in the state of California were 
cut owing to a reduction in state funding."

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Founded in 1963, Pitzer College is a nationally ranked undergraduate college of the liberal arts 
and sciences.  A member of The Claremont Colleges, Pitzer offers a distinctive approach to a 
liberal education by linking intellectual inquiry with interdisciplinary studies, cultural immersion, 
social responsibility and community involvement.