Overview
The U.S. Government funds several professional and academic exchange programs in which Trinidad and Tobago nationals can participate.
International Visitor Leadership Program
The International Visitor Leadership Program is the U.S. Department of State’s premier professional exchange program. Through short-term visits to the United States, current and emerging foreign leaders in a variety of fields experience this country firsthand and cultivate lasting relationships with their American counterparts. Professional meetings reflect the participants’ professional interests and support the foreign policy goals of the United States.
Youth Ambassadors Program
The Youth Ambassadors Program is a leadership exchange program for high school students and adult mentors from countries across the Western Hemisphere. The program provides full scholarships for participants to take part in cultural and educational programming focused on a variety of themes specific to the different countries. Youth Ambassadors is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and is administered by World Learning. Exchanges are implemented by World Learning, Amigos de las Americas and Georgetown University CIED.
The program aims to develop a cadre of young adults throughout the Americas who have a strong sense of civic responsibility, a commitment to their communities, an awareness of current and global issues, and strong interpersonal leadership skills. The program aims to promote mutual understanding, respect, and collaboration between people in the United States and other countries of the region.
Eligibility Requirements
All Youth Participants must:
- Be high school students between 15 and 18 years old (at the start of the exchange);
- Have at least one semester of school remaining after program participation;
- Be citizens and residents of the country they are representing on the exchange;
- Demonstrate leadership aptitude and an interest in community service and in the program theme;
- Exhibit flexibility, maturity, integrity, good social skills, and open-mindedness;
- Have the motivation necessary to be active and successful exchange participants; and
- Have sufficient proficiency in the language of the exchange (English, Spanish, or French) to participate fully in all exchange activities.
All Adult Educator Mentor applicants must
- Be teachers or community leaders who work with youth;
- Be citizens and residents of the country they are representing on the exchange;
- Demonstrate an interest in assisting youth to become productive and responsible members of society;
- Exhibit maturity and open-mindedness;
- Be supportive of the teenage participants;
- Have sufficient proficiency in the language of the exchange (English, Spanish, or French) to participate fully in all exchange activities; and
- Be willing and able to meet periodically with selected program participants during the academic year, following the exchange, to support and monitor their follow-on work
Applications are open for 2023. Deadline is February 27, 2023 at 12:00 p.m. EST
To apply, visit https://www.worldlearning.org/youth-ambassadors-program-apply-details/
National Youth Science Camp
The National Youth Science Camp is a residential science education program that brings together graduating high school science students from the United States of America and participating countries worldwide.
Community Solutions Program
The Community Solutions Program is a professional development program for the best and brightest global community leaders working in the fields of transparency and accountability, tolerance and conflict resolution, environmental issues and women’s issues.
The Community Engagement Exchange (CEE) Program
The CEE is a transformational leadership development experience designed to enable civil society leaders, ages 21-28, to harness the power of networks, relationships, and information for the public good, specifically on issues related to civic dialogue and peacebuilding, open and participatory government, women and gender, resilience and sustainable development, and youth engagement.
The CEE is a year-long exchange with a three-month U.S.-based practicum: CEE fellows are matched with nonprofit organizations, private entities, and government offices across the United States where they work with U.S. colleagues on initiatives related to civil society issues they face in their own communities. CEE equips dedicated visionaries with the expertise, skills, and resources to develop multisector approaches and build healthy and engaged communities in their home country.
For more information on the Community Engagement Exchange go to: https://www.irex.org/project/community-engagement-exchange
Applications for 2022 are closed.