Community Solutions Program 2021–2022 to advance Community Development

Deadline: 28-Oct-20

The Community Solutions Program is a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State and implemented by IREX.

The Community Solutions Program (CSP) is a year-long professional development program for people who are working to improve their communities by addressing issues related to energy and the environment, peace and conflict resolution, transparency and accountability, and women and gender.

Community activists will be selected to participate in the program that includes:

Four-month Fellowship in the United States: Community Solutions fellows are matched to host organizations throughout the U.S. where they complete a four-month, hands-on professional experience
Community Leadership Institute: Community Solutions 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 help 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 put these projects into action in their home communities

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 insurance

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 25 and 38 as of January 1, 2021
You are a citizen of one of the eligible countries
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 2021
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

Selection Process

Competition for the Community Solutions Program is merit-based.
After the deadline, all eligible applications will be reviewed by a selection panel.
The panel will then choose semifinalists to complete an interview.
Semifinalists will also be required to take an English language exam or submit recent TOEFL or IELTS scores.
After the interviews, finalists and alternates will be selected, pending their performance on their English language exam.

For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3cklaDR