Professional Fellows Program on Inclusive Civic Engagement

Application Deadline:  May 15, 2023.

The Professional Fellows Program on Inclusive Civic Engagement is a professional program funded by the US Department of State for emerging leaders in Africa to exchange and implement best practices for inclusive civic engagement. The program will support approximately 12 disability rights professionals (Fellows) from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Ethiopia to participate in a 5-week Fellowship Program in the US.

Eligibility

• Be Kenyan, Ugandan, Tanzanian, or Ethiopian citizen between the ages of 25-40.
• Individuals working to improve civic engagement for people with disabilities in their home country or local community.
• You should have two or more years of professional experience in the disability field or working on issues of disability inclusion.
• You are an individual seeking to build their inclusive civic engagement career through a 5-week Fellowship program in the United States.

The Fellowship training will also include weekly seminars, mentorship, and community service.

• Begin your US Fellowship: Attend virtual sessions with program staff to prepare for your Fellowship experience and travel to the US.
• Engage in your Fellowship: Work with your US host organization during your customized Fellowship placement. Exchange knowledge and best practices on disability inclusion across cultural contexts.
• Develop a plan: Collaborate with US colleagues to develop an action plan for your follow-on project that you will implement upon returning home.
• Attend the Professional Fellows Congress: Join and network with over one hundred Professional Fellows from around the world at a four-day conference in Washington D.C.
• Sustain your project: After your Fellowship in the US, your US host mentor might visit you in your country to provide additional support with the implementation of your follow-on project.

Benefits

As a Fellow, you will receive funding and support for:

• Round-trip travel between home country and the US
• Fellowship-related travel within the US
• Travel interruption insurance
• Accident and health insurance for the duration of the Fellowship in the US
• Living accommodations in the US
• Living allowance to cover meals, local transportation, and incidental expenses
• Cultural allowance to spend on books and attending cultural events
• Disability-related arrangements, if needed
• An Internet hotspot

Travel to your US Host Organization and begin your Individual Fellowship Placement

Kristen McCosh, Disability Commissioner for the City of Boston (right), meets with Fall 2022 Fellow Salome N Gitau from Kenya (left).

• Spend four weeks at your designated US host organization
• Work alongside your US colleagues and study policies and practices in inclusive civic engagement
• Develop an action planfor your follow-on project with support from your host mentor
• Participate in community service, volunteering, or similar activity
• Engage in social and cultural activities

 Attend Weekly Seminars during the Fellowship Placement Training

• Participate in video conferences with other Fellows facilitated by program staff
• Share experiences and lessons learned from Fellowship training and activities
• Engage in peer mentoring and give and receive peer support
• Hear from guest speakers who will address different aspects of inclusive civic engagement

Program Details

• The Fellowship Program will begin on approximately May 8, 2024, and end on approximately June 13, 2024. Note that Fellowship start and end dates may be subject to slight changes.
• The Fellowship training will be in-person in the US, unless otherwise specified. If COVID-19 or related travel restrictions occur, we will conduct the program virtually.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Professional Fellows Program on Inclusive Civic Engagement