2024 YSEALI Academic Fellowship Program – Timor Leste

Each five-week program offers a balanced series of seminar discussions, readings, group presentations, and lectures.  Coursework and classroom activities are complemented by educational travel, site visits, leadership activities, and volunteer opportunities within the local community.  During the academic residency, participants also have opportunities to engage in educational and cultural activities outside of the classroom.  And, if conditions allow, the Fellowship will include an educational study tour to other areas of the United States where they will meet with local, state, private, and nonprofit organizations working in the field.  (Note: If the program must take place virtually, Fellows will engage in similar activities but online from their home countries.)

Themes

• Civic Engagement
  • The YSEALI Academic Fellowship on Civic Engagement will provide Fellows with an overview of how citizens have shaped U.S. history, government, and society both as individuals and groups.  The Fellowship will define civic engagement, examine its development in the United States, and explore topics such as active citizenship, community building, economic development, grassroots activism, and volunteerism.  Other topics such as civil rights, social justice, entrepreneurship, ethics, leadership, and media will be discussed.  Fellows will also meet with community leaders, entrepreneurs, and representatives of non-profit organizations.  Throughout the Fellowship participants will develop innovative and practical plans to become engaged citizens in their own communities.  The University of Nebraska – Omaha (Omaha, Nebraska) and Portland State University (Portland, Oregon) will each host one Institute.  The Fellowship on Civic Engagement will be held from September 28 to October 30, 2024.
• Environmental Issues
  • The YSEALI Academic Fellowship on Environmental Issues will explore the role that environmental policy has played in the economic and political development of the United States.  The Fellowship will use experiential learning techniques to expose participants to current themes in the field, including climate change, sustainable development/sustainable agricultural practices, food security, ecotourism, renewable energy generation, and water management and treatment.  Fellows will explore the issues from numerous angles: local grassroots activism and civic initiatives, impacts on marginalized communities, private sector approaches, global multilateral efforts, and federal government policies and regulation.  Finally, the Fellowship will explore environmental issues in the context of a globalized society and draw comparisons between the United States and the participants’ home countries.  Fellows will also meet with community leaders, and representatives of non-profit organizations.  The University of Montana (Missoula, Montana) and the East-West Center (Honolulu, Hawaii) will each host one Institute.  The Fellowship on Environmental Issues will be held from August 21 to September 25, 2024.
• Social Entrepreneurship and Economic Development
  • The YSEALI Academic Fellowship on Social Entrepreneurship and Economic Development will provide Fellows with an overview of entrepreneurial approaches that are employed to address social and economic issues.  The Fellowship will review the development, history, challenges, and successes of enterprises and community leaders, in the United States and globally. Topics include, but are not limited to, trade; investment; financial literacy; banking; microfinance; organizational development and management; grant writing; innovation; emerging markets and risk analysis; strategic business planning; corporate social responsibility; and women and minorities in entrepreneurship.  Students will also meet with community leaders, entrepreneurs, and representatives of nonprofit organizations.  The University of Connecticut (Storrs, Connecticut) and the University of Texas-Austin (Austin, Texas) will each host one Institute.  The Fellowship on Social Entrepreneurship and Economic Development will be held from October 1 to November 4, 2024.

Program Funding

• Through cooperative agreements with host universities, the State Department will cover all participant costs, including program administration; international and visa travel, travel allowances, domestic travel, and ground transportation; book, cultural, mailing, and incidental allowances; and housing and subsistence.  (Note:  If the program is conducted virtually, the State Department will work with the cooperative partners to provide a technology stipend to the Fellows.)

Health Benefits

• All participants receive the Department of State’s Accident and Sickness Program for Exchanges (ASPE) health benefit during the U.S.-based in-person component, which provides coverage of up to $100,000 with a $25 co-pay per medical visit and a $75 co-pay per emergency room visit, for the duration of the program.  Preexisting conditions may be covered up to $100,000, subject to policy exclusions and limitations.  (Note:  ASPE also covers up to $500 for routine COVID-19 testing requirements in the United States.  COVID-19 is treated like any other illness under the ASPE health benefits plan.)

Eligibility Criteria

• YSEALI Academic Fellows must either be current full-time undergraduate students at a college, university, or other institution of higher learning or be recent graduates (within the past four years) who demonstrate leadership through academic work, community involvement, extracurricular activities, and/or their profession.  Their fields of study are varied and may include the sciences, social sciences, humanities, education, business, or other professional fields.  Ideal applicants have very little to no prior experience in the United States or elsewhere outside their home country.  They strongly encourage people with disabilities to apply; host universities will provide special accommodations for YSEALI Academic Fellows with disabilities as needed.
• All applicants must be:
  • Between the ages of 18 and 25 at the time of application (although exceptional applicants over 25 may be considered if they meet all other eligibility requirements).
  • A citizen of Timor-Leste.
  • A resident of Timor-Leste.
  • A full-time undergraduate student at a college, university, or other institution of higher learning or a recent graduate (within the past four years).
  • Proficient in reading, writing, and speaking English.
  • Not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the United States.
  • Eligible to receive a U.S. J-1 visa.
• All applicants should:
  • Demonstrate interest, knowledge, or professional experience in Civic Engagement, Environmental Issues, or Social Entrepreneurship and Economic Development;
  • Demonstrate strong leadership qualities and potential in their university, place of work, and/or community;
  • Demonstrate a commitment or interest in community service, volunteerism, or mentorship;
  • Demonstrate a serious interest in learning about the United States and Southeast Asia as a region;
  • Be willing to actively participate in an intensive virtual academic program, community service, and study tour;
  • Have a commitment to return to their home country to apply leadership skills and training to benefit their community, country, or the Southeast Asia region;
  • Have little or no prior study or travel experience in the United States or elsewhere;
  • Be committed to participate fully in all aspects of the Fellowship.

For more information, visit U.S. Embassy in Timor Leste.