Pashto Summer Institute

The Pashto Online Summer Institute (POSI) is a fully virtual program designed to equip its participants--primarily teachers, administrators, social workers, and volunteers who work with native Pashto speakers--with fundamental Pashto communication skills.  

Course Dates and Class Meeting information

• Dates: TBD -- The 2024 section ran from June 11th to August 8th
• Class Days and Times: TBD -- In 2024, classes met each Tue./Thur. from 4:00-6:00pm CT
• Class Meeting Location: Zoom

Who Can Apply

Anyone 18 and older is eligible to enroll in the Pashto Summer Institute! The course offers a broad range of material so that anyone wishing to gain basic Pashto skills, whether for professional development or personal interest in the language, can get something out of the experience. No prior Pashto experience is required!

In the past, our participants have included: 

• K-12 educators
• Social workers who partner with members of the resettled Afghan population
• Undergraduate, graduate, and PhD students

Application Details

Applications for the 2024 Pashto Summer Institute are open! 

To apply, prospective students must complete our application form and submit a short (500 word maximum) letter of interest. The letter should outline motivations for enrolling in POSI and describe how participation in the course will benefit the applicant. 

Letters should be uploaded as pdfs and named LastName_FirstName_POSILetter (ex. Vandelay_Art_POSILetter)

Cost

There is a $300 course fee for participating in the Pashto Summer Institute. All educators are eligible for a discount that reduces the price to $50. 

What is Pashto? 

Pashto is an Iranian Indo-European language spoken by more than 40 million people worldwide, mostly in Afghanistan and Pakistan.  

Questions? Feel free to reach out to Tyus Welter, CMES’ Special Programs Associate, at tyus.welter@austin.utexas.edu