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 successful completion of the in-person fellowship, the fellows will return to Montenegro to apply for seed grant funding and mentorship and receive virtual coaching from UNO for follow-on Action Plan Project implementation.
Eligibility Criteria
In collaboration with the U.S. Embassy in Podgorica Office of Public Diplomacy, the UNO BOLD Civic Engagement Fellowship team will identify, recruit, and nominate a group of BOLD Fellows from Montenegro. To be eligible to apply for the 2025 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 the end of September 2025 until the end of February 2026
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 16, 2024
- Call for applications closes: February 28, 2025
- Interviews with semi-finalists: April 2025
- Notification of finalists by the beginning of May 2025
- Pre-departure virtual sessions: May 19-June 20, 2025
- Five-week academic residency and educational tour in the U.S.: August 16-September 19, 2025
- Action Plan implementation: September 22, 2025-February 28, 2026 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, 2026.
The application for the 2025 program is now open. Click here to apply. Preview a PDF version of the application here.
Questions?
For questions regarding your application, please contact michaelbutcher@unomaha.edu.