IREX Community Engagement Exchange Program 2026 (Fully-funded) – YOA

Deadline: May 22, 2025

Applications are open for the IREX Community Engagement Exchange Program 2026. The CEE Program is a dynamic world community of innovators working with communities to deal with vital twenty first Century points. CEE equips devoted visionaries with the experience, expertise, and sources to develop multisector approaches and construct wholesome and engaged communities within the U.S. and around the globe.

A transformational management improvement expertise, CEE is a yr-lengthy program designed to allow civil society leaders, ages 21-27, to harness the ability of networks, relationships, and data for the general public good. 

Fellowship parts embody:

• Three-month Practicum within the United States: IREX matches CEE fellows to civil society organizations all through the United States. Designated supervisors and friends assist the fellows by way of a 3-month, palms-on skilled practicum.
• Leadership and Civic Engagement Academy: CEE fellows discover this system themes by way of interactive curriculum that features service studying, face-to-face trainings, mentorship, skilled teaching, and inclusion in a world community.
• Community Engagement Project (CEP): With the assistance of their U.S. host group and mentors, CEE fellows design and plan a group engagement undertaking to hold out after they return home. Once the fellows depart the U.S., they put these initiatives into motion of their home communities.
• Community Engagement Project (CEP) Exchange: Select U.S. hosts and CEE specialists will journey to a CEE alumnus’ nation and work collaboratively to assist the man’s undertaking implementation and convey again what they study to strengthen communities throughout the United States or their home nation.

Financial Support

The program covers the price of most bills related to:

• J-1 visa assist
• Round-trip journey from individuals’ home metropolis to the U.S.
• Monthly allowance to cowl housing, meals, and different residing bills whereas within the U.S. and
• Accident and illness well being advantages

Eligibility

Competition for the CEE Program is benefit-primarily based and open to rising civil society and group leaders who meet the next standards:

• Age 21-27;
• Citizen of one of many eligible international locations listed beneath;
• Currently residing and dealing of their home nation on the time of application;
  • Special consideration might be given to people residing abroad who’ve refugee standing and are engaged on behalf of their home group.
• Has a minimal of two-years skilled or volunteer expertise, engaged on group or civil society points, on the time of application;
• Working on a group engagement initiative of their home nation, both in an expert or volunteer capability, with a demonstrated intent and imaginative and prescient to pursue a profession working to assist civil society or throughout the civil society sector;
• Able to start the CEE Program within the United States in 2026;
• Able to obtain a U.S. J-1 Visa;
• Committed to returning to their home nation after completion of this system and implementing a group-primarily based undertaking; and,
• Proficient in spoken and written English on the time of application.
  • Semifinalists will likely be required to take a Duolingo English language take a look at
  • Finalists ought to be capable of fulfill most communication targets, even on unfamiliar subjects. They ought to perceive the principle concepts of each concrete and summary writing and they need to be capable of work together with proficient audio system pretty simply. 

Eligible Countries by Regions

• Africa: Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. 
• East Asia and the Pacific: Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.
• Europe and Eurasia: Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia.  
• Middle East and North Africa: Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, and Tunisia.
• South and Central Asia: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.
• Western Hemisphere: Bolivia, Cuba, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Peru, and Venezuela.

Application

The 2026 Community Engagement Exchange (CEE) Program application is open from April 23, 2025 to May 22, 2025.

Click here to apply

For extra info, go to IREX CEE Program.