Deadline: 13-Dec-21
The U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Morocco is pleased to launch the 2022 Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Student Leaders, it is a rigorous leadership and civic engagement program for up to 64 competitively selected undergraduate and graduate students between the ages of 20 and 24 from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
Students are placed in U.S. universities where they complete academic coursework, develop leadership and project management skills, and expand their understanding of civil society and participatory governance processes in the United States and MENA region.
The cornerstone of the program is the development of Community Engagement Plans (CEP), where each student identifies an issue/opportunity that they would like to improve in their communities. During the program, students will have the opportunity to meet their American peers, engage in community service activities, and meet civil society organizations.
The Student Leaders Program is a yearlong three-part program: pre-summer, summer, and post-summer with the most intensive part taking place during the summer. The summer program is an intensive 5-week program, and is tentatively scheduled to take place from June 29 until July 28, 2022.
The summer program will either be a virtual, hybrid, or in-person program depending on the state of the global pandemic. Upon completion of the summer program, students will implement their Community Engagement Plans and receive follow-on support, training, and professional networking opportunities, including joining the 2,000 strong MEPI Alumni network. A competitive follow-on Accelerator Workshop may be held in the MENA region.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must hold citizenship of Algeria, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Libya, or the West Bank and Gaza. Applicants cannot hold U.S. citizenship and cannot be a U.S. Legal Permanent Resident.
- Must have ability to fully participate in the intensive summer program in late June 2022 to the end of July 2022;
- Are 20 to 24 years of age as of the program start date of June 29, 2022 and end date of July 28, 2022 (birth dates falling between July 28, 1998 and June 29, 2002);
- Demonstrate the strong English language skills needed to participate in a U.S. academic program;
- Are committed to returning to or remaining in their home country/community following completion of the program;
- Demonstrate strong leadership potential;
- Demonstrate a commitment to civic engagement;
- Indicate a serious interest in learning about the United States;
- Are not a third-country national of the nominating country;
- Have a sustained high level of academic achievement and currently attending an undergraduate or graduate program, have graduated from an undergraduate program within 6 months or less from the program start date of June 29, 2022 or will commence graduate studies in the Fall 2022 semester in their home country; will not be commencing study in an undergraduate or graduate degree program in the USA during the fall 2022 USA academic semester;
- Preference will be given to those applicants from households with limited family income, no prior travel experience in the United States or Canada, and limited to no study or travel experience outside their home country;
- Are willing and able to participate fully in virtual or in person intensive academic, community service, and educational travel activities;
- In the case of an in-person program, are comfortable with campus life, sharing living accommodations while traveling with a multinational group of participants from the Middle East and North Africa region and with U.S. citizens, and making adjustments to cultural and social practices different from those of their home countries/communities; and
- In the case of an in-person program, are comfortable living with another program participant of the same sex in a shared room as well as traveling to the USA and participating in the program without any accompanying friends or family members.
- In the case of a fully virtual or hybrid program, are able to balance competing obligations of the intensive program with home circumstances of family, school, work, etc; exhibit time management skills; demonstrate a flexible and positive attitude to want to learn and engage with a multinational group of participants from the Middle East and North Africa region and with U.S. citizens.
For more information, visit https://ma.usembassy.gov/education-culture/exchanges-programs/youth-programs/