Deadline: June 25, 2021.

A Digital Path to Entrepreneurship and Innovation for Latin America is creating a network of journalists, technologists and media entrepreneurs across the region. This network is harnessing the power of digital tools to create sustainable news businesses that provide news and information in the public interest.

The program consists of a group of 50 media professionals from 12 countries for a fifteen-week virtual program offering opportunities to develop entrepreneurship projects and work directly with with a U.S. media organization.

ELIGIBILITY

The program is open to young professionals and emerging leaders between the ages of 25 and 40 who meet the following criteria:

• Is a citizen, national or permanent resident of their home country
• The program is open to young professionals from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and Peru. 
• Is living and working in his/her home country at the time of application;
• Has at least two (2) years of professional experience at the time of application;
• Submits a complete application, with all required documents, by the application deadline;
• Is proficient in spoken and written English at the time of application.

BENEFITS

The fifteen-week virtual program includes:

• One-week ICFJ-led virtual orientation, where fellows receive hands-on training on digital tools and techniques and workshop their digital media project proposals with media entrepreneurs, while creating a safe space for collaboration and learning.
• Six weeks of professional virtual newsroom attachments. The program pairs fellows with U.S. hosts across the country at digital communications firms, startup incubators and cutting-edge digital newsrooms based on their backgrounds, skills and project proposals. During the virtual newsroom embed, fellows will receive an opportunity to meet and learn from different teams in the newsroom through online platforms.
• Eight weeks of professional mentoring, plus a grant of $1,700 towards their digital project, to drive their personal digital projects to success. 

APPLICATION

Program dates for Fall 2021 Latin American fellows:

1. Recruitment of fellows: Summer 2021
2. Selection of fellows: Summer 2021
3. Orientation: August 16 – August 20, 2021
4. Virtual Newsroom Embed (six-weeks): August 23, 2021  –  October 1, 2021
5. Professional mentorship: October 4, 2021 through December 4, 2021
6. Program Debrief: December 6, 2021

OFFICIAL LINK