Deadline: 22-Nov-21
The IREX is now accepting applications for the 2022-23 Thomas Jefferson Scholarship Program (TJSP) to provide opportunities for full-time, undergraduate, university/institute students from Tunisia to spend one academic year of nondegree study at a U.S. university or college.
Through academic opportunities, professional engagement, and leadership development, the program fosters economic growth, stability, and democratic development in Tunisia by equipping a network of youth with essential skills to lead positive change in their professional fields and communities.
Goals
- Prepare youth for the professional marketplace and professional positions in Tunisia.
- Build networks of emerging young leaders from across Tunisia and in the United States.
- Cultivate the capacity and desire of youth to serve in leadership positions in Tunisia.
Project Activities
- Undergraduate study and skills building: Participants attend a year-long, academic program at four-year colleges and universities in the United States. Throughout the program, participants receive tailored support in developing and meeting professional, academic, and leadership goals and improving their soft skills.
- Community and cultural engagement: Students contribute a minimum of 20 hours of community service work during the program and engage in in-person and virtual cultural exchange opportunities between Tunisians and Americans.
- Internships: Fellows complete part-time internships in their field of study, gaining experience in the American workplace, strengthening workplace readiness skills, and developing relationships with local businesses, governments, and organizations.
- Alumni engagement: Alumni continue to develop their workforce skills, support innovation and entrepreneurship in Tunisia, and maintain networks forged through the program.
Quick Facts
- Participants complete 80 hours of professional internships in the United States in their field of study, guided by leadership and goal-setting components of the program. Alumni rank the internship component as the most important component of the program for their professional development.
- Employers look for a series of key competencies in young employees. Nearly 100% of students completing the program express that they’ve developed these key “soft skills”, including job search skills, problem-solving skills, time management, stress management, and teamwork.
- Nearly 50% of Tunisian university graduates are unemployed. In a recent survey, 100% of TJSP alumni who report having completed their studies also report having paid employment.
Eligibility Criteria
The Thomas Jefferson Scholarship Program does not discriminate against applicants on the basis of color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, or any other protected characteristic as established by U.S. law.
Competition for the Thomas Jefferson Scholarship Program is merit-based and open to anyone who:
- is a Tunisian citizen;
- currently resides in Tunisia;
- is enrolled as a full-time, undergraduate, university/institute student in good academic standing at the time of application at a registered academic institution in Tunisia;
- is NOT in the final year of their undergraduate program at the time of application
- Architecture students are eligible in their first, second, third, or fourth year of study.
- Engineering students are eligible in their first or second year (preparatory classes), and third and fourth year of undergraduate study.
- is able to receive a U.S. J-1 visa;
- is at least 18 years old by July 1, 2022;
- is committed to returning to Tunisia after completion of the program;
- is able to achieve a TOEFL score of at least 500; and
- completes the academic year prior to study in the United States in good standing with a passing average (a.k.a. moyenne générale).
For more information, visit https://www.irex.org/project/thomas-jefferson-scholarship-program-tjsp
