Ranchi: As many as 26 girls from the tribal hamlets of Khunti formally graduated from the US Consulate General Kolkata’s English Access Microscholarship programme at a ceremony held in Khunti’s Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya on Saturday. The English Access Microscholarship programme, funded by the regional English language office of the US Embassy in New Delhi and the US Consulate General Kolkata, is a two-year programme aimed at providing a foundation of English language skills to bright, economically disadvantaged children and youth from 13-20 years through after-school instruction and intensive sessions. The programme was launched in Jharkhand in November 2018. As per the US Consul General Kolkata’s office, the programme has been extended to 1 lakh children globally since its launch in 2004. At present, there are 1,800 children enrolled in the programme nationally. Upon completion of the course, the trainees are eligible for various student exchange programmes.