Montenegro BOLD (Balkanski omladinski lideri - Balkan Youth Leaders) Civic Engagement Fellowship Program
The Fellowship includes: 1) a one-week pre-departure virtual component; 2) an intensive four-week academic residency; 3) one week of educational study tours in South Dakota, New York, and Washington, D.C.; and 4) a five-month in-country project implementation, progress tracking and coaching to ensure the success and sustainability of the projects.
Upon their return to Montenegro, the Fellows will be provided with seed funds and mentorship support to assist them in implementing their follow-on Action Plans.
Eligibility Criteria
In collaboration with the U.S. Embassy in Podgorica Office of Public Affairs, the UNO BOLD Civic Engagement Fellowship team will identify, recruit, and nominate a group of 7 BOLD Fellows from Montenegro. To be eligible to apply for the 2024 cohort, you must meet all the criteria below:
- Must be between ages 18-25 at program start
- Must have a permanent residence in Montenegro
- Must be a current student or a recent university graduate in Montenegro
- Must have civic engagement ideas for a project in their community that can be implemented within five months after their return from the United States
- Must be willing to become part of a larger network and cooperate with their counterparts across Montenegro and the rest of the Balkans
- Little or no prior experience in the U.S.
- Must be present in Montenegro for follow-on project implementation from September 2024 - February 2025
Individuals in the following circumstances are not eligible for the BOLD Program:
- U.S. citizens and permanent residents of the United States;
- Local employees of the U.S. missions abroad who work for the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID); employees are also ineligible for one year following the termination of employment;
- Immediate family members (i.e. spouses and children) of U.S. Department of State and USAID employees; family members are also ineligible for one year following the termination of employment.
Program Timeline
- Call for applications opens: December 15, 2023
- Call for applications closes: March 1, 2024
- Interviews with semi-finalists: April 2024
- Notification of finalists by the first week of May 2024
- Pre-departure virtual sessions: May 20-June 15, 2024
- Five-week academic residency and educational tour in the U.S.: August 18-September 20
- Action Plan implementation: September 23, 2024-February 28, 2025 Upon return to their country, with the assistance of our program staff, successful BOLD exchange participants from Montenegro will receive seed funding to carry out their projects by February 28, 2025.
The application for the 2024 program is closed.
Questions?
For questions regarding your application, please contact michaelbutcher@unomaha.edu.