Community Solutions Program

Deadline: November 13, 2024

What is this opportunities? 

The Community Solutions Program is a year-long program designed to develop established community leaders. Participants will gain leadership skills and practical experience through a four-month U.S. practicum and a graduate-level leadership curriculum. They will also receive personalized coaching and support to implement a six-month community project in their home country, focusing on issues such as democracy, human rights, environmental sustainability, peacebuilding, and gender equality.

Community leaders will participate in a comprehensive program that includes:

• U.S. Fellowship: A four-month hands-on experience with a U.S. organization to enhance their skills and expertise.
• Leadership Development: A graduate-level curriculum to strengthen leadership and management abilities through face-to-face training, online courses, coaching, and networking.
• Community Projects: Designing and implementing a six-month community development project in their home country, supported by their U.S. host organization.

Benefits

- 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

- Accident and sickness health coverage

- Accessibility accommodations

Eligibility

- between the ages of 26 and 39

- citizen of one of the eligible countries (Many Developing countries are included, check below)

- living and working in your home country

- at least two years of experience working on community development

- not currently participating in an academic, training, or research program in the U.S.

- available to travel to the U.S. for four months from August to December 2025

- not a citizen or permanent resident of the U.S.

- eligible to receive a U.S. J-1 visa

- committed to returning to your home country for a minimum of two years after completing the program

- not a current IREX employee or consultant, or their immediate family member

Eligible Countries by Region

• Africa: Botswana, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Sierra Leone, 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, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, 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, Palestinian Territories
• South and Central Asia: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan
• Western Hemisphere: Argentina, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela

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