U.S. ExchangeAlumni Fellowship Application

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About the U.S. ExchangeAlumni Fellowship

The U.S. ExchangeAlumni Fellowship is a new professional development and networking program for U.S. citizen alumni of U.S. government exchange programs (ExchangeAlumni). The nine-month Fellowship, to begin in January 2025*, will engage U.S. ExchangeAlumni as regional advocates for exchange programs and strengthen alumni networks throughout the United States.  

Position Description

Global Ties U.S. is seeking six (6) U.S. citizen alumni of U.S. government exchange programs (ExchangeAlumni) to join the 2025 U.S. ExchangeAlumni Fellowship cohort (EAF). In this role, Fellows will organize, network with, and manage outreach to local and regional community alumni to strengthen U.S. ExchangeAlumni networks throughout the United States, promote opportunities and resources for U.S. ExchangeAlumni, inspire local audiences to become future exchange participants, and engage in opportunities and resources provided by the Office of Alumni Affairs.

Each Fellow will represent and cover a designated region of the United States, with one Fellow to be based in Washington, DC and work closely with the Washington DC-based Global Ties U.S. staff. This specific role is responsible for ExchangeAlumni networking in the metropolitan Washington, DC region (see below), and assisting in coordinating efforts with the five regionally based ExchangeAlumni Fellows.

Fellows are tasked with building alumni networks across U.S.-government sponsored exchange programs (i.e. Peace Corps, Fulbright, and other exchange alumni groups) and engaging with these alumni at least once a quarter by planning professional development and networking opportunities. These touchpoints may be in-person and/or virtual, depending on the local context. The Fellows also will be tasked with outreach to prospective exchange participants, as well as amplifying and potentially coordinating Department of State and Office of Alumni Affairs events in their region.

Fellows are expected to invest 10-15 hours per week into these efforts. The Washington, DC-based Fellow will be expected to contribute 15 hours per week and be able to communicate regularly with Global Ties U.S. staff, including an optional in-office component. All Fellows will receive a monthly stipend, paid out on a quarterly basis. Additionally, Fellows may apply for funding to support costs for in-person events such as room rentals, light refreshments, and personal travel to and from events. For each funding request, a post-event report, including a financial report, must be submitted. 

This Fellowship is an opportunity for U.S. ExchangeAlumni to become community leaders. A successful Fellow will have contributed to the development of regional U.S. ExchangeAlumni networks, and planned, implemented, and participated in Fellow-organized events for alumni. They will also have shared professional development opportunities with alumni in their regions such as Career Connections, Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund, and other ExchangeAlumni programmatic activities, in addition to other points of engagement communicated from the Office of Alumni Affairs. At the end of their successful completion, U.S. ExchangeAlumni Fellows will receive a certificate acknowledging their service. 

*Onboarding process will take place in November and December 2024.

Core Responsibilities 

  • Fellows will be expected to proactively identify U.S. ExchangeAlumni in their region or area of expertise and contact them regularly for a minimum of three (3) networking events or similar professional development programming per Fellowship term. 
  • Fellows will be expected to amplify local U.S. ExchangeAlumni events and share key messages and opportunities from the Office of Alumni Affairs.  
  • The Fellow based in Washington, DC will additionally be tasked with supporting the program logistics with Global Ties U.S. staff. 
  • All Fellows will be expected to report on their event activities and check-in with Global Ties U.S. staff on a regular basis. 
  • Fellows will be invited to attend the 2025 Washington, DC Career Connections seminar, planned for summer 2025,and while in DC, will be expected to engage with their U.S. Congressional Representatives offices and share follow-on impact stories with the U.S. Department of State.  

Eligibility Requirements

  • Must be a U.S. citizen ExchangeAlumni in good standing of a U.S. Government-sponsored exchange program.
  • Must be over 18 years of age at the time of application submission. 
  • Must reside in the United States or territories during the fellowship period (January – October, 2025). 
  • Must be able to represent at least one of the geographic regions depicted HERE. (Please note, fellows will not be selected for all regions and some regions may have more than one fellow based on need.)
  • U.S. Department of State employees, contractors, and U.S. Government-sponsored exchange program implementers are not eligible to apply. Please read the eligibility FAQ for more information HERE.

Qualifications 

Preferred qualifications for fellows include:  

  • Prior knowledge of U.S. Government-sponsored exchange programs and/or experience with outreach, recruitment, and alumni associations is strongly preferred  
  • Strong writing, editing, and organizational skills, including experience preparing content for websites, email, and social media 
  • Strong interpersonal communication and presentation skills
  • Experience with MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and virtual meeting software (e.g. Zoom Webinars) 
  • Experience with managing a budget and event implementation is preferred  
  • Understanding of online event planning and CRM platforms is a plus     
  • Enthusiastic attitude and eagerness to meet other alumni and speak as a resource on U.S. Exchange programs 

Additionally, preferred qualifications for the Washington, DC-based Fellow include: 

  • Able to work on a team in a fast-paced office environment
  • Can provide customer service and support on multiple priorities 
  • Experience leading a team is a plus 
  • Experience reviewing and advising on event plans and budgets is preferred  
  • Understanding of platforms such as Salesforce, Cvent, WordPress, and other online event planning and CRM platforms are a plus   

Fellowship Benefits

  • Leadership and communication skills 
  • Event planning and outreach experience
  • Professional development opportunities such as public policy and citizen diplomacy training
  • Opportunities to engage with the U.S. State Department and other international exchange partners
  • Opportunity to participate in a cohort visit in Washington DC
  • Connection to a regional network of motivated alumni
  • Stipend payment
  • Certificate of completion acknowledging fellowship service 

Stipend Payment 

Fellows will receive a total stipend of $8,100 (Regional Fellows; 10-15 hours weekly) and  $12,150 (Washington, DC-based Fellow, 15 hours weekly) per Fellowship term, which will be distributed in quarterly payments. Fellows will be expected to meet reporting deadlines and conduct regular check-ins with Global Ties U.S. staff in order to remain in good standing for timely stipend payments.  

Timeline 

The 2025 U.S. ExchangeAlumni Fellows are expected to serve in the position for nine months, from January to October 2025 (in addition to program onboarding). Fellows must attend orientation and professional development programming and report on their activities throughout the program.  Key dates include: 

  • August 1, 2024: The Application Opens
  • September 17, 2024: Application Closes
  • September and October, 2024: Application Review Period* 
  • November and December, 2024: Selected Fellows will be notified and onboarded
  • January 2025: Fellowship term begins
  • October 2025: Fellowship term ends

*Top candidates may be invited to a virtual interview in fall 2024 prior to final selection.

More Information:     

Fellowship Informational Webinar | August 20, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. Eastern U.S. Time

Fellowship Informational Webinar | September 10, 2024 at 5:30 p.m. Eastern U.S. Time

Read our Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about the U.S. ExchangeAlumni Fellowship.

For more information about the U.S. ExchangeAlumni Fellowship and other U.S. ExchangeAlumni programming, visit alumni.state.gov. 

Questions?:

Contact USAlumni@GlobalTiesUS.org.

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