Deadline: 1 December 2016
The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) is seeking applications for its Young Professionals Fellowship, funded by the German Bundestag and U.S. Congress through the U.S. Department of State. The program annually gives 75 American young professionals the opportunity to study, work, and live with a host in Germany.
Participants are expected to act as “young ambassadors” of the United States in Germany, and to represent the diversity of the U.S. in factors including, but not limited to, career field, educational background, geographic location, ethnicity, race, gender, religion, socio-economic status, disabilities, etc.
Benefits
- Round-trip international airfare
- Language school costs for 2 months of intensive German language study
- Tuition costs for 4 months of study
- Housing costs for host family, apartment, or dormitory during pre-internship phases (program funding during internship depends on earnings)
- Monthly stipend to cover basic costs of living
- Program-related travel within Germany
- Health insurance in Germany
Program Phases
- Intensive Language Training Phase: This phase of the program is designed to improve participants’ spoken and written communication skills as rapidly as possible, to prepare them for the study phase and for being completely immersed in German for the remainder of the program.
- Study Phase: Following completion of the language school phase, participants relocate to their permanent placement location for the remainder of the program. There, they will immerse themselves in German daily life and culture through studying and (later) interning in their career field.
- Internship Phase: With the support of their regional program representative during the study phase, participants seek and apply to internship positions in the area of their permanent placement, and secure an internship that is ideally directly related to their career fields.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants must:
- Have U.S. citizenship or permanent residence.
- Be between 18 and 24 years of age at the start of the program.
- Possess a high school diploma.
- Exhibit clear career goals and some relevant experience in their career field (experience can be work, internship, or volunteer).
- Have a strong interest in German and international affairs, as well as a strong sense of American identity.
- Be flexible, independent, and diplomatic.
- Candidates in all career fields and applicants from a broad range of backgrounds are selected for the program each year.
- Candidates in business, vocational, scientific, engineering, technical, and agricultural fields are especially encouraged to apply.
- Prior German language knowledge is not required, but is strongly preferred.
- Previous recipients of Congress-Bundestag scholarships are not eligible to apply.
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted online via given website.
Eligible Country: United States
For more information, please visit CBYX.