Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellowship Program (Slovakia)

Deadline: 2 February 2025

The U.S. Embassy in Bratislava is pleased to invite high school students in the Slovak Republic to apply for a four-week summer Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellowship. They are looking for aspiring young leaders who want to work with American and other European youth to build a network that will lead to a lifetime of change!

The Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellowship (BFTF) is an intensive short-term exchange program, created to empower and foster relationships among the younger generation of Europeans and Americans to build strong linkages and an awareness of shared values.

The four-week program will enable students, ages 16-18, to explore U.S. foreign policy priorities such as youth engagement, support for democracy and civil society, and economic prosperity. The program will consist of a series of lectures, seminar discussions and presentations, and a broad assortment of practical, faculty and mentor-led workshops. The coursework and classroom activities will be complemented by community service activities, site visits, social and cultural activities, and homestays with American families to deepen participants’ experience of U.S. society during their exchange. Upon their return home, participants will implement service projects in their communities and present an alumni project plan to a youth-serving or youth-centered organization in their home country.

Benefits

All program costs will be covered by the U.S. Embassy in Bratislava and the U.S. State Department, Bureau of Cultural and Educational Affairs, including visa, round-trip international travel to the United States, lodging, educational materials, ground transportation expenses, and travel insurance.
Participants will travel to the United States on J-1 visas and will have to be able to meet all travel requirements applicable at the time of departure.

Eligibility Criteria

They are looking for candidates who:
- were 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);
- are a Slovak citizen or legal permanent resident of the Slovak Republic;
- are highly proficient in English, as demonstrated in a virtual interview;
- demonstrate strong leadership potential and interest in transatlantic relations and diplomacy;
- demonstrate a commitment to community and extracurricular activities;
- have had little or no prior study or travel experience in the United States;
- are mature, responsible, independent, confident, openminded, tolerant, thoughtful and inquisitive;
- are willing and able to fully participate in an intensive summer program, with community service and educational travel.
Candidates must also exhibit demonstrable interest in pursuing leadership opportunities in Slovakia and convey a genuine desire to learn about the United States and its people, society, and institutions.
They are expected to fully participate in the academic program and the follow-on activities in Slovakia.
All candidates should be aware that due to the intensive nature of the program, there will be no time for personal pursuits unrelated to the program. Personal travel prior to, during, or after the program period is also not permitted.