2021 Study of the United States Institutes for Student Leaders from Europe

Deadline: 18-Jan-21

The U.S. Embassy in Ukraine is pleased to announce a competition for the 2021 Study of the United States Institutes for Student Leaders. The program will take place in early July through August 2021.

The Institutes may be conducted as a traditional in-person programs at the host institutions in the United States. However, virtual program with all lectures and activities designed for online synchronous and asynchronous learning may be offered. A final decision on program viability and format will be made in spring 2021, contingent upon health, safety, and travel factors related to the pandemic. Institute hosts are the University of South Carolina, the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, respectively.

This program is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State and will cover all participant costs, including program administration, travel, housing and subsistence, as well as book, cultural, and incidental allowances, if the program is in-person. If the program is conducted virtually, the costs associated with ensuring participants have on-line access will be covered.

Study of the U.S. Institutes (SUSIs) for Student Leaders are intensive short-term academic programs whose purpose is to provide groups of undergraduate student leaders with a deeper understanding of the United States while simultaneously enhancing their leadership skills.

Themes

Civic Engagement;
Education and the Future of Work; and Entrepreneurship and;
Economic Development.

Eligibility Criteria

The candidates are expected to be highly motivated first through third year undergraduate students from colleges, universities, and other institutions of higher education, who demonstrate leadership through academic work, community involvement, and extracurricular activities. Their fields of study will be varied and may include the sciences, social sciences, humanities, education, business, and other professional fields. The ideal candidates should be from non-elite backgrounds, with little or no prior experience in the United States or elsewhere outside their home country, and should include historically underserved groups, indigenous groups, disadvantaged groups, individuals with disabilities, members of the LGBTI community, and ethnic minority communities. Candidates nominated for this program will:

be proficient in English;
be interested in the Institute topic;
be between 18 and 25 years of age;
have at least one semester left of their undergraduate studies, and therefore be committed to return to their home universities following completion of the program; -demonstrate strong leadership qualities and potential in their university and community activities;
indicate a serious interest in learning about the United States;
have a sustained high level of academic achievement, as indicated by grades, awards, and teacher recommendations;
demonstrate commitment to community and extracurricular university activities;
have little or no prior study or travel experience in the United States or elsewhere outside of their home country;
be mature, responsible, independent, confident, open-minded, tolerant, thoughtful, and inquisitive;
be willing and able to fully participate in an intensive academic program, community service, and educational travel, if program is conducted in-person; and,
be comfortable with campus life, prepared to share living accommodations, and able to make adjustments to cultural and social practices different from those of their home country, if the program is conducted in-person.