Entries open for IREX Community Solutions Program

Deadline Date: November 13, 2024

Donor Name: IREX

Grant Size: Not Available

https://www.irex.org/program/community-solutions-program-application-information

Applications are now open for IREX Community Solutions Program (CSP), a year-long professional leadership development program for established community leaders working to improve their communities by addressing issues related to 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.

Benefits

• 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 organization, 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

Cost Covered

• 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 Criteria

• 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  
• 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 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 current 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, Kenya, Ghana, Guinea, 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, 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, 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, Venezuela, and Uruguay

Selection Criteria

• After the deadline, all eligible applications will receive a preliminary review by CSP staff before being shared with a selection panel that consists of CSP alumni (not from the applicant’s country of citizenship), representatives from CSP U.S. partner organizations, and technical experts. 
• Applicants who pass the preliminary and reading review stage and meet the criteria listed in the application materials will be identified as semi-finalists and invited to complete a recorded interview and submit a CV. 
• Finalists and alternates will then be selected. 
• Final acceptance into the program will depend on the individual’s (or applicant’s) performance on an English exam unless finalists meet certain exemption requirements.

For more information, visit IREX.