IREX Community Solutions Program in the U.S 2024 (Fully funded)

The application for the 2024 Community Solutions Program is now open! The Community Solutions Program (CSP) is a year-long professional leadership development program for established community leaders working to improve their communities by addressing issues related to the democracy and human rights, environment, peace and conflict resolution, and women and gender.

CSP includes a four-month hands-on U.S. practicum, personalized leadership coaching and training through a graduate level leadership curriculum, and a six-month follow-on community project fellows implement in their home country. More details below!

About

Community leaders will be selected to participate in the program that includes:

Four-month fellowship in the United States: Community Solutions fellows are matched with host organizations throughout the U.S. where they complete a four-month, hands-on professional practicum to advance their technical skills and expertise.
Community Leadership Institute: Community Solutions fellows participate in the Community Leadership Institute, a graduate-level leadership curriculum designed to strengthen their leadership and management skills. The Institute includes face-to-face trainings, online courses, professional coaching, and networking
Community-based initiatives: While in the U.S. and with the support of their U.S. host organisation, Community Solutions fellows design and plan a community development initiative or project to carry out after they return home. Once the fellows depart the U.S., they implement a six-month follow-on project in their home communities

Benefits

The program covers the cost of most expenses associated with:

J-1 visa support
Round-trip travel from participants’ home city to the U.S.
Monthly allowance to cover housing, meals, and other living expenses while in the U.S.
Accident and sickness health coverage
Accessibility accommodations, such as ADA accessible rooms for in-person training, software such as JAWS, and community assistance and community training

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for the Community Solutions Program, applicants must meet the requirements listed below. Applications that do not meet these eligibility requirements will be disqualified and will not be reviewed by the selection committee. Please note that the U.S. Department of State and IREX reserve the right to verify all the information included in an individual’s application. In the event that there is a discrepancy, or information is found to be false, the applicant will immediately be disqualified.

You are between the ages of 26 and 39 as of January 1, 2024
You are a citizen of one of the eligible countries listed below
You are living and working in your home country
- Individuals with refugee status working on behalf of their home community may be given special consideration
You have at least two years of experience working on community development, either as a fulltime or part-time employee or volunteer
You are not currently participating in an academic, training, or research program in the U.S.
You have a high level of proficiency in spoken and written English at the time of application
- Finalists and alternates will be required to take an English Language exam or submit recent scores for TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo language exams.
You are available to travel to the U.S. for four months on a J-1 visa from August to December 2024
You are not a citizen or permanent resident of the U.S. and have not applied for U.S. permanent residency within the past three years
You are eligible to receive a U.S. J-1 visa
- Applicants who have participated in an exchange program sponsored by the U.S. Government must have fulfilled their two-year home residency requirement
You are committed to returning to your home country for a minimum of two years after completing the program
You are not a current IREX employee or consultant, or their immediate family member

Eligible Countries

Africa: Botswana, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
East Asia and the Pacific: Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vanuatu, and Vietnam
Europe: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Türkiye, and Ukraine .
Middle East and North Africa: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and West Bank/Palestinian Territories
South and Central Asia: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan
Western Hemisphere: Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Chile, Cuba, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, and Urugua

Selection Process

Competition for the Community Solutions Program is merit-based. After the deadline, all eligible applications will be reviewed by a selection panel. The panel will then choose semifinalists to complete an interview. After the interviews, finalists and alternates will be selected, and will be instructed to take an English Language exam or submit recent passing TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo scores. Finalists participation will be confirmed pending their performance on their English language exam.

Deadline: Wednesday, November 1st, 2023 by 11:59 P.M.

Click here to apply

Visit the Community Solutions Program (CSP) website for more details

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IREX Community Solutions Program in the U.S 2024 (Fully funded)