Deadline: December 31, 2016 / January 18, 2017

The Student Leaders program is an intensive, approximately 6-week exchange program to the United States for up to 120 undergraduate students from the Middle East and North Africa. Students are divided among U.S. academic institutions where they develop leadership skills and expand their understanding of civil society, as well as the democratic process and how both may be applied in their home communities.

Participants have the opportunity to meet their American peers, engage in local community service activities, and observe and take part in the governmental process on the local, state, and federal levels. The program includes academic coursework, as well as study tours to various regions of the United States. Upon completion of the U.S.-based programs, the program will work with students to support their civic engagement efforts. A follow-on training is generally held in the region approximately 6 months after the U.S. portion of the program.

Eligibility

• Open to students from Algeria, Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, and West Bank/Gaza;
• Applicants should be university students between the ages of 20 and 24.
• Organisers seek a gender-balanced pool of candidates and give preference to traditionally underserved participants when possible;
• While nominees may be undergraduate or graduate students in any field of academic specialization, it is critical that they exhibit a serious interest in pursuing leadership opportunities in their home countries and demonstrate a desire to deepen their civic engagement;
• Those who have traveled to the U.S. or studied abroad are ineligible;
• Applicants should demonstrate sufficient English-language skills to participate in U.S. university-level classes and must be enrolled in and attending a university in their home countries;
• At the time of application and while participating in the program, participants cannot hold U.S. citizenship or be a U.S. Legal Permanent Resident.

Application Process

• Participants apply for the program online and are then interviewed and nominated by Embassies.

The deadline for applications is December 31, 2016 with the following exceptions: For Israeli applicants the application deadline is January 18, 2017. For more information, please e-mail MEPIExchanges@state.gov or visit US/MEPI Student Leaders Program 2017.