Community College Global Affairs Fellowship 2023

A fully-funded program for international students at CCID member colleges

The Community College Global Affairs Fellowship (CCGAF) is a paid summer enrichment and mentorship program that seeks to expand access to global education opportunities and international affairs careers to community college, transfer, and non-traditional students. It will run from June 18 to July 1, 2023.

Eligibility

Participants must be U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents who are community college, transfer, or non-traditional students from historically underrepresented groups, such as first-generation and low-income, as well as overlooked regions of the country. Applicants that have or will be receiving an Associate’s Degree by August 2023 AND/OR plan to be starting at a 4-year university by Fall 2023 preferred.

Selection Process

We are looking for individuals broadly interested in international affairs and democracy. This means you may know or want to learn foreign languages, live abroad, embrace a variety of cultures and diversity, study global issues, be civically engaged, and defend and champion democratic values, such as free and fair elections and an open and independent press.

A committee composed of representatives from Community Colleges for International Development with participation from Global Community College Transfers and Meridian International Center will review all applications. Based on the information provided in their applications, a select number of applicants will be asked to participate in a 15-minute phone or video conference interview.

Applicants will be notified of selection on or before April 14, 2023.

Program Details

The CCGAF provides evidence-based skill-building, mentorship, and 1:1 coaching. It also offers ongoing access to networks and career supports that global affairs students and professionals need to grow in their work, advance to higher levels of leadership, and become decision-makers on the world stage.

It builds upon the success of GCCT’s community college and transfer student mentorship program, advances CCID’s work building pathways to global careers at community colleges, and leverages Meridian’s experience developing leadership and diplomatic training for emerging leaders around the world.

The Community College Global Affairs Fellowship has two primary components:

• a virtual 1:1 mentorship program
  
• a two-week in-person Summer Enrichment Program

Virtual mentorship program

The virtual mentorship program will begin on May 30 and run through August 16, 2023. Fellows are paired with current international affairs practitioners, many of whom were community college/transfer students.

The diverse pool of mentors include Boren, Critical Language, Erasmus Mundus, Fulbright, Marshall, Payne, Pickering, Rangel, and Schwarzman Scholars, along with Presidential Management Fellows and others in the public service sphere. Many work for NGOs, think tanks or government agencies (federal, state and local).

The mentorship program consists of compulsory online weekly workshops on topics like resume writing and networking skills, routine mentor-mentee meetings, and completion of several small assignments contributing to the fellow’s professional and personal development.

The time commitment for the mentorship component is three hours per week for fellows, including time spent in workshops and completing assignments. The workshops are generally held in the evening (5:10 pm PT/8:10 pm ET).

Summer program

The fully paid Summer Enrichment Program will take place in Washington, DC from June 18 to July 1, 2023. Activities include diplomatic skills training course, briefings on how U.S. foreign policy is made, a series of career panel discussions, visits to Federal Agencies and cultural institutions, and more. It includes $128 daily stipend plus fully-paid food, travel and lodging expenses.

Outcomes

​Participation in this fellowship will help you:

• Build knowledge of different international affairs career pathways.
• Provide you with the awareness, tools and network (relationships) to more effectively obtain scholarships, fellowships, and job opportunities in the field of international affairs.
• Develop better understand how diplomatic skills like cultural competency are crucial to the field of international affairs.
• Become part of a national network of community college and transfer students interested/working in international affairs and public service.

The Requirements 

Fellows are expected to participate fully in all aspects of both the mentorship and summer enrichment programs, including attending meetings and completion of all assignments. Fellows are required to prepare one scholarship, fellowship, internship, or job application during the course of the fellowship program. This could include anything from an application to intern with your Member of Congress in Washington to an application for the Peace Corps abroad.

You will need to upload your resume and your most recent college transcript. This may be an unofficial transcript. One letter of recommendation is encouraged, but not required.

Costs

The Community College Global Affairs Fellowship summer enrichment program is designed as a fully paid program. Fellows will be paid a daily stipend of $128.08 as well as receive per diem for meals and incidentals for each day of the summer enrichment program. Roundtrip airfare, lodging in Washington, DC and ground transportation to and from the airport in Washington, DC (IAD, DCA or BWI) will all be covered.

This program was made possible by a partnership between Meridian International Center, Global Community College Transfers (GCCT), and Community Colleges for International Development (CCID). It is funded through the generous support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.