Deadline: November 13, 2024.

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 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.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

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.

• You are between the ages of 26 and 39 as of November 13, 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 full-time 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
  • Semifinalists will be required to take and pass or submit recent scores for a TOEFL or IELTS English language test
• You are available to travel to the U.S. for four months from August to December 2025
• 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 and
• You are not a current IREX employee or consultant, or their immediate family member.

ELIGIBLE COUNTRIES

• 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.

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.

Find more information on the OFFICIAL LINK