George W. Bush Institute
Women’s Initiative Fellowship Application
Completed applications must be submitted electronically no later than Saturday, September 14, 2013. Incomplete applications or applications sent after this date will not be considered.
PROGRAM STRUCTURE
The Women’s Initiative Fellowship is a year-long program that begins with the initial five weeks in the United States. The program commences in Dallas, TX. Fellows spend time in the classroom at Southern Methodist University where they study and discuss a curriculum uniquely addressed to women in leadership. In addition to classroom work, the fellows visit civil society organizations, Fortune 100 companies, NGOs and other site visits to experience the practical application of what they are learning in the classroom.
As part of the overall leadership program, the Fellows will travel from Dallas, TX to additional cities in the United States, including Washington, D.C., New York City, and California’s Silicon Valley. The “Experience America” portion of the program introduces Fellows to an array of interesting leaders and successful companies, foundations, and organizations, enhancing the learning opportunities by highlighting practical and effective solutions.
In addition to the city visits, the Fellows travel to mentors for one-on-one training and more intensive preparation. Each Fellow is paired with an appropriate mentor in her specific sector.
During the final week in the United States, the Fellows reconvene in Dallas to share ideas and stories, to debrief, and to finalize personal action plans. The Fellows identify existing projects or create a new project to empower women.
After the Fellows return home, follow-up work commences through regional meetings, distance learning opportunities, and technical assistance. This portion of the program is specifically designed to create a dynamic alumni network in each Fellow’s home country to promote continued learning, support, recruitment, and mentorship opportunities. The Bush Institute uses follow-up sessions to track progress, provide assistance where it can, share best-practices, collect data, and recruit candidates for future fellowship classes.
GOALS
The Women’s Initiative Fellowship is designed to achieve the following goals:
- Provide opportunities and training that helps equip each woman for success as a leader in her field
- Provide training that aids each woman in developing the tools necessary to enlarge her knowledge, expertise, influence, and impact to her personal network and the larger network of women leaders created by the program
- Create a dynamic and effective global network of women leaders
- Strengthen civil society through the work of the Fellows and their network
- Convene regional follow-up meetings and activities for continued training and support
- Publish a book showcasing the Fellows and their work, best-practices, activities, and achievements
- Track career progression of Fellows
- Help facilitate strong mentoring relationships between Fellows and local women in their communities
CONDITIONS OF ELIGIBILITY
Ideal candidates are leaders or “rising stars” who desire to improve their community and country. Women who meet the following qualifications are eligible to apply for the Women’s Initiative Fellowship:
- Possess Tunisian passport
- Must be at least 21 years of age
- Possess at least a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) or are currently enrolled in a University
- Represent one or more of the following vocational sectors:
- Education
- Health
- Business/Economic Development/Entrepreneurship
- Civic Engagement and Public Service
- Media/Journalism
- Law
- Demonstrate sufficient written and spoken literacy in English
- Ability to be interviewed in-person or via telephone
BENEFITS OF FELLOWSHIP
What you can expect to gain from the Fellowship:
- Valuable leadership skills that help transform your community and country
- Five weeks in the United States to meet with key leaders and thinkers as well as four regional training sessions in the year that follows the U.S. portion of the Fellowship, with all travel, lodging and incidental costs paid for by the George W. Bush Institute’s Women’s Initiative Fellowship
- Leadership curriculum specifically designed for the Women’s Initiative Fellowship
- Introduction to the use of technology and social platforms such as Google+, Twitter, and Facebook
- A personal mentor with expertise that best matches your skills and talents (assigned for one year)
- An introduction to executives at leading companies (examples include: New York Stock Exchange, Google, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, U.S. State Department and more)
- Certificate of Completion based on full participation of the Fellowship
- Ongoing support through in-country training, seminars, and sustained participation in a growing global network of leading women
RESPONSIBILITIES OF FELLOWS
What will be expected of Fellows:
- Commitment to spend five consecutive weeks in the United States from March 4, 2014 – April 8, 2014, and commitment to obtain all necessary travel documents for the five week stay in the United States
- Bi-weekly conversations with assigned mentor
- Mandatory attendance of in-country seminars in June 2014, August 2014, October 2014, and January 2015 & graduation in March 2015
- Development of a personal action plan and reporting of monthly progress update
- Report quarterly progress for at least five years following completion of the Fellowship
- Commitment to build networks of leading women in your home country
- Participation in a Women’s Initiative Fellowship Alumni group
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the George Bush Women Fellowship Intiative
