International Fellowship Admissions

Should I Apply? | Application and Admissions Process | Costs | Timeline

 

Should I Apply?

The iLEAP International Fellowship program is designed for highly experienced community leaders working in and directly with communities in Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America. The Fellowship program is very rigorous and iLEAP invests in leaders who have a demonstrated life-long commitment to service and community and are at the point in their professional life where they can benefit from an extended period of reflection and inquiry combined with new ideas and relationships. A strong applicant for this highly competitive Fellowship program is someone who is:

  • Between the ages of 25 and 45;
  • Dedicated to serving the community(ies) or the population with whom they are working;
  • Currently working with an organization and holds at least seven years of relevant experience as a community leader;
  • Creative, skilled and capable of working with different organizations, cultures, situations and settings;
  • Demonstrably adaptive and open to new and challenging experiences;
  • Able to articulate why the Fellowship program is right at this time of their lives;
  • Conversant in the English language.

Preference is also given to applicants who are:

  • Connected to supporters, communities and/or international organizations based in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States;
  • Have not previously had the opportunity for international leadership trainings and/or been formally recognized for their service to community change.

Generally speaking, we receive about 25 inquiries for every 1 fellowship that we are able to offer. Therefore, applicants should expect that the process to be highly competitive and rigorous, with multiple rounds of evaluation. However, don’t let this scare you off. Our program is more about “fit” than any number of accolades, people supervised, or grants secured.

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Application and Admissions Process

Step One: Assessment of Interest and 'Fit'

The application process is initiated by submitting a Letter of Inquiry and Support Letter at our online application.  You can CLICK HERE to access the online form. You will be able to save and return to your form at anytime. These inquiries are taken year-round, but there is only ONE Fellowship program each calendar year. 

 

 

 

Step Two: Screening

These two letters will be screened by the iLEAP staff and, as appropriate, iLEAP graduates.

  • If it is determined that the Fellowship program may be a good fit with the candidate, a more extensive, full application forms will be sent to the candidate. Please note: applications will not be accepted without an initial "Assessment of Interest and 'Fit'";
  • If it is determined that the Fellowship program is not a good fit with the candidate an e-mail will be sent for denials or with suggestions for strengthening the application for the future.

Step Three: Formal Application

After the candidate submits her/his full application, it will be carefully reviewed by an Admissions Committee, comprised of iLEAP staff, iLEAP Board members, iLEAP graduates, and other members of the iLEAP community;

Candidates who are recommended for advancement will be interviewed by iLEAP over Skype, or if possible, an in-country iLEAP graduate.

Step Four: Immigration Screening

  • Candidates who are successful with Step Three will begin their application for a J-1 Training Visa with the visa sponsor organization, EarthCorps.
  • Candidates will be interviewed by EarthCorps as part of the immigration process. The interview will be done using Skype;
  • Selected candidates will receive a visa packet to apply in their respective United States embassy within 10-20 days.

Step Five: Visa Application and Flight Plan

  • Under the guidance of EarthCorps, the candidates receiving a visa packet will apply for the visa in their country;
  • Those who are successful in receiving their visas will then work with iLEAP to purchase and confirm their flight details.
  • This Step will be completed within 4 weeks before the start of the Fellowship program.

Step Six: Travel to Seattle, USA

The end of your admissions process comes when you formally arrive in Seattle to begin the Fellowship program.

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Costs

Depending on the country of origin, estimated costs per Fellow for program participation are $9,500 USD, plus airfare. This amount includes all visa/immigration, health insurance, Seattle transportation, room and board, books and supplies, and a living stipend. Without question, this is a significant amount and underscores the important investment being made in these individual leaders who go on to be Fellows and, for some, our International Faculty.

iLEAP works very hard with foundations and supporters to ensure that the burden of program participation does not fall on the Fellows. To this point we have been very successful at meeting our intentions. At the same time, the principle of reciprocity and shared responsibility is very important to us and the Fellowship program. For this reason, we expect that successful applicants will work with us to find creative solutions to the persistent challenge of securing resources.

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Timeline

Each year the timeline may vary slightly. 

For the Fall 2012 International Fellowship program the timeline is as follows:

  • Letter of Inquiry Period: ongoing
  • Letter of Inquiry Deadline for consideration for Fall 2012 program: March 15, 2012 (deadline has passed--we are no longer accepting these for Fall 2012)
  • Application Deadline, Full Application: April 1, 2012
  • Application Review: April 2012
  • 2nd Round Candidates Notified: April 2012
  • Initial Screening Phone Interview: April 2012-May 2012
  • Finalists and Alternates Notified: May 2012
  • Visa Application and Interview: Initiate June 2012
  • Schedule/Complete Immigration Interview with US Embassy: June - July 2012
  • Book Plane Ticket to Seattle: July- early August 2012
  • Fellows Arrive in Seattle: Early September 2012

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