For married officers, the Olmsted Scholar Program offers a family immersion experience. The Foundation highly encourages spouses and dependent children to accompany the Scholar throughout the Program, to include language training. Experience has shown that a Scholar’s family members overwhelmingly benefit from the language, cultural immersion, and travel opportunities inherent in the program, and being accompanied allows the Scholar to fully immerse in the local culture without being concerned about, or deprived of, his/her “stateside” family.
Scholars continue to receive their regular pay and allowances from the US military during the Olmsted Scholar Program, including overseas housing allowances and cost-of-living adjustments.
In addition, Scholars and their families are supported by The Foundation in many other ways during their Olmsted experience.
Scholars receive two Annual Grants to be used while overseas for travel and cultural immersion activities, among other things. The amounts of these grants are determined by family status at the time they are paid. Currently, single Scholars receive $8,500 per year, with an additional $1,500 per year for spouses, and a further $1,000 per year for each dependent child. Thus, over a two-year period a family of four would receive a total of $24,000 to use for travel and cultural immersion.
Spouses are encouraged to learn the language of the Scholar’s overseas study location, and The Foundation actively supports this endeavor. If space is available, many spouses are able to join Scholars at the Defense Language Institute before heading overseas. In addition, the Spouse Language Training Grant can be used for language training courses, private tutors, books and online resources, and even childcare to allow a spouse to attend classes. This grant covers up to $5,000 of language training expenses.
Scholars and their spouses have an opportunity to explore their destination city and university via a five-day “Familiarization Trip” prior to relocating overseas. This travel, reimbursable by The Foundation, allows Scholars and their spouses an opportunity to investigate housing options, determine embassy support, visit potential children’s schools, etc., in order to ease the transition to living overseas.
The Annual Meeting, Reunion and Reception is the Olmsted Foundation’s official “homecoming” event for all Olmsted Scholars and their families. Held annually on the first Saturday in June, this gathering provides the venue to introduce the newest Olmsted Scholar Class, while giving Scholars of all ages the opportunity to reconnect with fellow Scholars and Foundation leadership and to hear the latest up-to-date Foundation news.
For the newest class of Scholars and their spouses this weekend also includes New Scholar Orientation activities designed to prepare them for their Olmsted Experience. The insights and real-world advice gained from these sessions, including the opportunity to meet recent “alumni” Scholars, allow new Scholars to hit the ground running while also dispelling many of the natural apprehensions for the challenges ahead. In addition, the personal bonds established during this weekend often continue well after Scholars and their spouses finish their overseas adventures.
The Foundation’s personal and financial support gives Scholars and their spouses the confidence to enjoy the Olmsted Experience to the fullest.
It is not just Scholars who are shaped by the Olmsted Scholar Program. Over 60 years of experience have demonstrated that the entire family benefits from the opportunity to learn a new language, immerse themselves in an unfamiliar culture, and overcome the daily challenges of living overseas.
Many Scholars and their families have called their two years overseas a life- and career-changing experience. They finish their Olmsted Experience with the confidence to tackle the unknown, an appreciation of differing viewpoints, and the knowledge and resilience to assume leadership roles in the military, in their community, and beyond.