The Princeton Varsity Club is partnering with “Coach for College” for the 4th consecutive year to send varsity student-athletes abroad to Vietnam as part of a three-week, sports-based immersion program.
Coach for College aims to increase higher education attainment among disadvantaged Vietnamese adolescents using the excitement and life skills provided by participation in sports-related activities. The program provides American college athletes with an intensive and collaborative service experience that engenders the skills needed to exercise leadership and commitment to positive social change.
Each student-athlete will co-teach one sport, one academic subject and a life skills class throughout the three-week camp. They will also guide their team of children in competitions each week. Additional program information for summer 2016 can be found here. A complete photo gallery of the Princeton student-athletes that participated in the 2015 Coach for College program is available.
“Coach for College was one of those experiences that reinforced why Princeton was a great choice for me. The program takes the time to recognize the value of student-athletes and provided us an opportunity to make an impact and experience away from our team” states Danielle Allen ’16, a summer 2015 participant.
The application deadline for any interested Princeton varsity student-athletes is Sunday, February 7th. The online application can be accessed by clicking here.
The PVC will sponsor up to (8) student-athletes to take advantage of this programming during the summer of 2016 and will cover the majority of the cost of participation (roughly $3,500 per person, which covers airfare, ground transportation, lodging, meals, visa processing, health and liability insurance, uniforms and expenses related to cultural experiences). The program does require an additional fundraising component to be completed by the student-athlete (roughly $1,680). Fundraising assistance through Coach for College can be found here.
The Coach for College camps are hosted in the Mekong Delta region of southern Vietnam. The summer 2016 camp dates are noted below:
- May 25th – June 20th
- June 22nd – July 18th
- July 20th – August 15th
“There were several moments, specifically those when our entire student-athlete group was together with our students, outside of the classroom being completely spontaneous, where I thought, ‘I think this is the happiest I’ve ever been.'” (-Danielle Allen ’16)
