Ben Franklin Transatlantic Fellows: Summer Institute for Youth Program

Deadline: 28 February 2017

The U.S. Embassy in Sofia, Bulgaria is now accepting applications for its 2017 Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellows Summer Institute for young Americans and Europeans. The program will take place in June and July 2017. The institute will be hosted by Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. All costs of the participants will be covered.

The Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellows Summer Institute is an intensive short-term exchange program whose purpose is to foster relationships among young Europeans and Americans to build strong linkages and an awareness of shared values.

During the academic residency, participants will also have the opportunity to discuss other topics such as democratic practices, conflict resolution, problem solving, communication skills, critical thinking, tolerance and respect for diversity, youth leadership, team building, and the media. The Institute will also explore how freedom of expression provides rights to and imposes responsibilities on citizens.

Program Overview

The four-week program will enable teenagers, ages 16-18, to explore U.S. foreign policy priorities such as youth engagement, support for democracy and civil society, and economic prosperity.
The program will consist of a series of lectures, seminar discussions and presentations, and a broad assortment of practical, faculty- and mentor-led workshops.
The coursework and classroom activities will be complemented by community service activities, site visits, social and cultural activities, and home stays with American families to deepen participants’ experience of U.S. society during their exchange.

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates for this Fellowship will:

be born between June 24, 1998, and June 24, 2001 (i.e., be 16, 17, or 18 years of age at the time of the program start);
be highly proficient in English, as demonstrated in a personal interview or the results of a standardized test;
be committed to enrolling in high school or university in their home countries in fall 2017, following completion of the Institute;
demonstrate strong leadership potential and interest in transatlantic relations and diplomacy;
indicate a serious interest in learning about the United States;
demonstrate a high level of academic achievement;
demonstrate a commitment to community and extracurricular activities;
have had little or no prior U.S. study or travel experience in the United States;
be mature, responsible, independent, confident, open-minded, tolerant, thoughtful and inquisitive;
be willing and able to fully participate in an intensive summer program, community service, and active educational travel program;
be comfortable with campus life, shared living accommodations, travel and interaction with a multinational, co-ed group of participants from across Europe and the United States;
be comfortable with engaging various Americans in the broader community;
be able to adjust to cultural and social practices different from those of their home countries.