Summer Institute
for Youth: 2014 Scholarship Opportunity!
Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellow
2014 BENJAMIN
FRANKLIN
TRANSATLANTIC FELLOWS SUMMER INSTITUTE
The U.S. Embassy in Athens is pleased to announce a
scholarship opportunity for a Greek student, aged 16-18 years, to be a Benjamin
Franklin Transatlantic Fellow for a four-week program in the U.S. in July 2014.
The American Embassy in
Athens, Greece and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA)’s Youth
Programs Division invites you to submit nominations for the 2014 Benjamin
Franklin Transatlantic Fellows Summer Institutes.
Two four-week Institutes,
offered in summer 2014, will accommodate up to 90 Fellows total. Each
Institute, one at Wake Forest University in North Carolina and the other at
Purdue University in Indiana, will be designed for 35 European students and 10
Americans, ages 16 to 18.
Institute activities
include discussion of global issues of common interest, leadership and media
training, collaborative project development, community service, educational
travel, and plans for follow-on activities. Both Institutes will take
place from June 28-July 26, 2014.
Nominations must be submitted
by mid of February.
One student from Kozani will
participate in this program!
The Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellows Summer Institutes
2. The goals of the Institutes are:
(1) to develop a commitment
to transatlantic cooperation;
(2) to foster relationships
between American and European youth from different ethnic, religious, and
national groups;
(3) to promote mutual
understanding between the United States and Europe;
and (4) to develop a cadre of
youth leaders who will share their knowledge and skills with their peers
through positive action.
3. The Summer Institutes will enable
teenagers, ages 16-18, to participate in an intensive, four-week exchange
program in the United States that focuses on global issues facing both European
and American youth. The Institutes will focus primarily on an exploration
of issues through interactive activities, practical experiences, and other
hands-on opportunities. Participants will learn more about democratic
practices, volunteer service, conflict resolution, problem solving,
communication skills, critical thinking, tolerance and respect for diversity,
youth leadership, team building, and the media. The Institutes also
explore how freedom of expression both provides rights to and imposes
responsibilities on citizens. Fellows will participate in a variety of
activities such as training sessions, workshops, community-based programs,
study tours, and cultural events.
4.
Community service activities, social and cultural activities, and
homestays with American families will deepen the Fellows’ experience of U.S.
society during their exchange.
5. After the Institute, in addition to
implementing service projects in their home communities, the Fellows will
present what they have learned as well as an alumni project plan to a
youth-serving or youth-centered organization in their home country. These
may include U.S. Embassy Youth Councils, American Corners or American Spaces,
and exchange alumni associations.
6. Program Hosts: Wake Forest University in
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and Purdue University in West Lafayette,
Indiana, will continue to host separate institutes during summer 2014.
The content of both programs will be similar even though exact topics will
vary.
Funding/Travel
8. The costs for all U.S.-based activities will
be provided by the American Embassy and ECA through cooperative agreements.
9. In-country and international travel
expenses will be covered by the American Embassy, Athens. These expenses
include domestic travel in the home country, such as a visit to the capital for
a visa interview; round trip international travel to the United States; a
travel allowance; pre-departure orientation; and alumni activities.
10. Athens Embassy will be responsible for making all travel
arrangements and providing international airline tickets for the participant to the designated location
(either Greensboro airport in North Carolina or Indianapolis airport in
Indiana) in the United States.
Recruitment/Candidate Profile
13. Nominees should have a strong interest in
learning more about diplomacy, the transatlantic relationship, the role of a
free press in a democracy, and public or community service. They should
have a strong demonstrated interest in communications, advocacy, debate, or
civic participation. They should have the academic aptitude for a program
of this nature and personal qualities needed to be successful participants,
including maturity, strong social skills, flexibility, and open-mindedness.
These factors are particularly important given the diverse group atmosphere of
the Institute. English fluency is required.
14. Nominees must exhibit serious
interest in pursuing leadership opportunities in their home countries, and
demonstrate a genuine desire to learn first-hand about the United States and
its people, society, and institutions. Nominees must also understand that,
if selected, they will be expected to fully and seriously participate in all
program components during the month, as well as in follow-up activities
afterward in their home countries. In addition, Fellows should be ready
to inform and educate Americans about the cultures and societies of their home
countries in non-structured gatherings and in public presentations.
15. Selected participants will travel to
the United States on J-1 visas under the International Visitor government
designation held by ECA’s Youth Programs Division (ECA/PE/C/PY), which will
issue the DS-2019 forms. There should be no fees incurred for the visa
application or for SEVIS. ECA will also provide travel health benefits
through its Accident and Sickness Program for Exchanges (ASPE).
16. Candidate Qualifications:
a. Be 16, 17, or 18 years of
age as of June 28, 2014;
b. Highly proficient in English, as demonstrated in a written paragraph and
in a personal telephone interview
with the Cultural Attache of the
American Embassy;
c. Committed to enrolling in
high school or university in their home countries in fall 2014, following
completion of the Institute;
d. Demonstrate strong leadership potential and interest in transatlantic
relations and diplomacy;
e. Indicate a serious interest in learning about the United States;
f. Sustained high level of academic achievement, as indicated by academic
grades, awards, and teacher recommendations;
g. Demonstrate a commitment to community and extracurricular activities;
h. Have had little or no prior U.S. study or travel experience in the United
States;
i. Be mature, responsible, independent, confident, open-minded, tolerant,
thoughtful and inquisitive;
j. Willing and able to fully participate in an intensive summer program,
community service, and active educational travel program;
k. Comfortable with campus life, shared living accommodations, travel and
interaction with a multinational, coed group of participants from across Europe
and the United States, and comfortable with engaging various Americans in the
broader community.
Able to adjust to
cultural and social practices different from those of their home countries.
18 We look forward to receiving your nominations and to working with you on
this project.
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