U.S. Department of State’s 2018 Pan-Africa Youth Leadership Program for high school students (Fully Funded to USA)

Application Deadline: Varying by Country

U.S. Department of State’s Pan-Africa Youth Leadership Program (PAYLP) 2018 is a three-week exchange program in the United States for high school students aged 15-18 years old.

The Pan-Africa Youth Leadership Program, funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, brings mixed-country delegations of high school students and adult mentors to the United States to explore themes such as entrepreneurship, the environment and public health.

The Pan-Africa Youth Leadership Program will target as many as 39 countries to support the U.S. government goals of fostering regional cooperation on the continent in addition to nurturing young leaders. The program will provide an opportunity for high school students from an African country to travel to the U.S. to participate in leadership programs. The program will take place from April 8 to 29, 2018.

During the exchanges, participants will engage in workshops on leadership and service, community site visits related to the program themes and subthemes, interactive training, presentations, visits to high schools, local cultural activities, and homestays with local American families.  Follow-on activities with the participants are an integral part of the program, as the students apply the knowledge and skills they have acquired by planning service projects in their home communities.

Profile of the ideal candidate:

The youth participants will be high school students aged 15 to 18 years old at the start of the exchange who demonstrate leadership potential through academic work, community involvement, and extracurricular activities.

Eligibility Requirements: Students must:

1. Be a high school student who is 15, 16, 17, or 18 years of age by the start of the exchange;
2. Be proficient in English;
3. Attend at least one semester of high school in their home country following completion of the program; i.e. in grade 11 or 12 as at January 2018;
4. Indicate a serious interest in learning about the United States;
5. Demonstrate strong leadership qualities and potential in their school or community;
6. Have a high level of academic achievement, as indicated by academic grades, awards, and teacher recommendations;
7. Demonstrate a commitment to community service and extracurricular activities;
8. Have had little or no prior study or travel experience in the United States or elsewhere outside of their home country;
9. Be mature, responsible, independent, confident, open-minded, tolerant, thoughtful and inquisitive;
10. Be willing and able to fully participate in an intensive program, community service, and active educational travel program during the exchange, as well as in follow-up activities afterward in their home countries.

Attach CV with the following information:
A. Full names (should match the ones in your passport and should be presented in the following order: Prefix (Dr., Mr., Mrs., Ms., Miss), Last Name(s), First Name, Middle Name)
B. Gender
C. Date of Birth (please spell out Month, Day, Year)
D. Birth City
E. Birth Country
F. Country of Citizenship: Primary and, if applicable, secondary country
G. Country of Residence
H. Medical, Physical, Dietary or other Personal Considerations
I. Contact Information: Home Address, City, Home State/Province, Home Country, E-mail, and Telephone
J. Year in School
K. Memberships in Associations, Clubs, volunteer experience, etc.
L. Previous experience in the United States:  Yes/No?
M. If yes, please list all trips made to the United States and include approximate dates and the reason for travel.
N. Family Residing in the United States: Please list any immediate family members who currently are residing in the United States, including city and state.

Mozambique:

To submit an application  and a reference forms by e-mail, send materials to MaputoExchangePrograms@state.gov with your name and “2018 Pan-Africa Youth Leadership Program (PAYLP)” in the subject line.

Zambia:

Candidates should submit a CV providing information about their leadership and community activities, a cover letter, and up to two letters of recommendation.  Please submit your applications to the following email address:  LusakaExchanges@state.gov.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the U.S. Embassy 2018 Pan-Africa Youth Leadership Program