Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellows Summer Institute (Estonia)

Participants will work together on a joint project that presents and promotes the stated goals and objectives of the Institute.

Before and during the Institute, students will gather information on young adults’ views about one or two areas of common or global interest, such as sustainable development, inter-ethnic cooperation, or human rights. The program will also provide the participants with a new perspective on mass media and how they learn about each other and the communities they live in, and the broader media culture. This will include training on the critical reading of printed, broadcast, and electronic media and the ability to judge the content and accuracy for themselves. Training will cover communication and presentation skills, problem solving, and team building. Community service activities, social and cultural activities, and home stays with American families will deepen the participants’ experience of U.S. society during their exchange.

Applicants should have a strong interest in learning more about diplomacy, the transatlantic relationship, the role of a free press in a democracy, and public or community service. They should have a strong demonstrated interest in communications, advocacy, debate, or civic participation. They should have the academic aptitude for a program of this nature and personal qualities needed to be successful participants, including maturity, strong social skills, flexibility, and open-mindedness. These factors are particularly important given the diverse group atmosphere of the Institute.

It is important that applicants have serious interest in pursuing leadership opportunities in their home countries and demonstrate a genuine desire to learn first-hand about the United States, its people, society, and institutions. It is also very important that nominees understand that, if selected, they will be expected to participate in all program components fully and seriously during the month, as well as in follow-up activities afterward in their home countries. In addition, participants should be ready to inform and educate Americans about the cultures and societies of their home countries in non-structured gatherings and in public presentations.

Goals

• To develop a commitment to transatlantic cooperation;
• To foster relationships between American and European youth from different ethnic, religious, and national groups;
• To promote mutual understanding between the United States and Europe/Eurasia;
• To develop a cadre of youth leaders who will share their knowledge and skills with their peers through positive action.

Benefits

• Costs for all U.S.-based activities will be covered by the organizers and hosts in the U.S.
• International travel and pre-departure costs will be covered by the U.S. Embassy
• Participants will be covered by a U.S. State Department sponsored health benefit program, which will not cover routine examination or pre-existing conditions.
• Individual purchase of travel and luggage insurance is recommended.
• All embassies will provide a pre-departure orientation to the accepted Fellow(s) to review the details of the program, cross-cultural issues, travel, and financial matters. Since many participants will be minors and will be traveling from their home country alone, the U.S. grantee organization will provide adult chaperones who will accompany participants on flights between one or two European airports to the location of Summer Institute in the U.S. and back.

Eligibility Criteria

• Candidate profile:
  • born between June 24, 2007, and June 24, 2009 (i.e., be 16, 17, or 18 years of age at the time of the program start)
  • highly proficient in English;
  • committed to enrolling in high school or university in their home countries;
  • strong leadership potential and interest in transatlantic relations and diplomacy;
  • indicate a serious interest in learning about the United States;
  • demonstrate a commitment to community and extracurricular activities;
  • little or no prior U.S. study or travel experience in the United States;
  • mature, responsible, independent, confident, open-minded, tolerant, thoughtful and inquisitive;
  • willing and able to fully participate in an intensive summer program, with community service and educational travel;
  • comfortable with campus life, shared living accommodations, travel and interaction with a multinational, co-ed group of participants from across Europe and the United States;
  • able to adjust to cultural and social practices different from those of their home countries.

For more information, visit U.S. Embassy in Estonia.