U.S. Ambassador Stephen Beecroft On Thursday presented graduation certificates to 480 young Egyptians from all over the country as they completed the English Access Microscholarship Program.

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the Access Program gives students two years of high-quality English language training and the opportunity to participate in extracurricular language learning activities, said US embassy said in a statement.

With the support of the U.S. Embassy, the American University in Cairo and AMIDEAST organized the classes and other activities for the students.

Since its start in Egypt in 2006, over 2500 Egyptian youth from around the country have learned English through the Access Program.

Speaking to the students at the ceremony, Ambassador Beecroft said, “The Access program is tremendously successful in helping bright young Egyptian students learn English, which opens the door to so many future opportunities."

"It’s great to see the successes of these Access students, many of whom are putting their skills to good use in their communities. Just last week, on International Literacy Day, nearly sixty former Access students helped launch a project that will help others learn to read and write," Beecroft added.

Using the skills they developed through the Access Program, many students have won scholarships and gone on to study at universities around the world, he noted.

The English Access Microscholarship Program is one of over 30 programs the U.S. Embassy offers to thousands of learners and teachers of English across Egypt.