2023 Youth Leadership Program with Algeria

Deadline: 5-Nov-22

The Youth Leadership Program with Algeria (YLPA) – a leadership development opportunity for Algerian and American youth, ages 15-17 is now accepting applications.

Coordinated by the Northern Nevada International Center in partnership with the Action Bénévole pour la Citoyenneté & le Développement. A Program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State and the United States Embassy Algeria.

The Youth Leadership Program with Algeria is a leadership development opportunity for Algerian and American youth, ages 15-17. This cultural and academic exchange will take place in Reno, Nevada and Washington, DC from July 10-August 2, 2023, with an orientation in Algiers from July 7-9, 2023.

The program will employ an interactive approach both in workshops and in a range of public and community settings. Through engagement in the activities, youth and adult participants will better understand civic participation, the rights and responsibilities of citizens in a democracy and the role that social enterprises play in a community. The program is highly academic and provides participants with the skills to complete a required post-program service project in their local communities.

The program is comprised of an intensive training schedule that includes highly academic workshops, project planning, teambuilding activities and cultural components. After the completion of the U.S. based program, participants are required to complete a post-program service project in their local communities.

Eligibility Criteria

Youth who are eligible to apply are those who:
- Are a legal citizen of Algeria
- Will be either 15, 16 or 17 years of age on July 7, 2023
- Have demonstrated English skills, sufficient for understanding academic discussion and everyday social interactions
- Have at least one year of high school remaining after the program. If you are selected as a semifinalist, you will be required to submit an original high school transcript and a school certificate to verify that you have at least one year of high school remaining. They will also contact your school to verify your enrollment status, so be sure to provide current contact information for your school.
- Have demonstrated leadership in their schools and/or communities
- Have interest in the program themes of social entrepreneurship, leadership and project development and would like to participate in academic classes and do work to develop in these areas
- Have permission from their parent(s) or legal guardian to participate in the entire program
- Do not have a familial relation to the Northern Nevada International Center, their Algerian partner Action Bénévole pour la Citoyenneté & le Développement, or the U.S. Department of State
- Have not traveled to the United States on a Department of State exchange program within the last three years
Algerian youth application instructions
- The application consists of two (2) parts: an online Written Application and an online video interview. Please note that only those who submit complete Written Applications will continue to the video interview portion of the application. All parts of the application must be completed entirely in English. The information you provide in the written and video portions of the application will be used to select semifinalists for this program. Please read all instructions and answer all questions carefully and completely. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Please note the following:
- Letters of Recommendation CANNOT be written by a family member. This will result in your application being rejected. They highly encourage having your letters of recommendation written by a professional reference such as a teacher, mentor, coach, etc. who knows you well and can speak to your leadership skills and character.
- Your recommendation letters must be written by two DIFFERENT people and hand signed. Your application will be incomplete if you upload two copies of the same letter or if they are missing hand written signatures.
- Your application will be incomplete if any pages of the letters of recommendation or signature page are missing. It is a requirement of the application that ALL pages of the signature form and letters of recommendation be uploaded. Your application will be rejected if all pages are not uploaded with your application. Please check the documents you upload carefully.
- When completing the written application, provide an answer in all fields marked with an asterisk (*) on the electronic form. Please use academic language and edit your answers as if you were submitting a final draft of a school assignment. Please note the word count minimums noted in the application. If your application does not meet these requirements, it will be considered incomplete.