Fellowships

2023-2024 Community Solutions Program (CSP) in USA: APPLY NOW!

Apply for the 2023-2024 Community Solutions Program (CSP) in USA

Location

USA

Target audience

International applicants

Overview

The Community Solutions Program (CSP) is a year-long professional leadership development program for people who are working to improve their communities by addressing issues related to the environment, peace and conflict resolution, transparency and accountability, and women and gender. Community leaders will be selected to participate in the program that includes:

  • Four-month fellowship in the United States: Community Solutions Program fellows are matched with host organizations throughout the U.S. where they complete a four-month, hands-on professional experience
  • Community Leadership Institute: Community Solutions Program fellows participate in the Community Leadership Institute, a leadership training program 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 Program 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 put these projects into action in their home communities

Application Instructions

The application for the 2023-2024 Community Solutions Program is now open! 

Detailed application instructions can be downloaded by the link below. Please review the program requirements prior to starting an application to ensure that you are eligible. Please note that eligibility requirements are determined by the U.S. Department of State and exceptions cannot be made. If, after reviewing the application instructions, you have additional questions, please e-mail cspapply@irex.org.

APPLY NOW

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.

  • You are between the ages of 25 and 38 as of January 1, 2023
  • 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 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 2023
  • 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 by Region

  • Africa: Botswana, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, 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, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Turkey, 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: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela

Accessibility Resources

The Community Solutions Program team provides a range of disability support to fellows, beginning with the CSP application process through the end of the fellowship. Examples of disability support services and accommodations include: 

  • Application Process:
    • Screen reader friendly application
    • Captioned and pre-recorded video interviews
  • Pre-Arrival:
    • Accommodations for English language testing
  • In-Person:
    • Mobility assistance devices as needed
    • Sign language interpreting
    • Live captioning and transcripts for in person and online courses
    • ADA accessible rooms for in-person events
    • Software such as JAWS
    • Community assistance and community training

Financial Support

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. and
  • Accident and sickness health coverage

VISIT THE PAGE AND APPLY

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ALSO CHECK: Apply for the Chevening Clore Leadership Fellowship

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