Deadline : February 25, 2021
Apply for the 2021 Young Leaders of the Americas (YLAI) Fellowship Program. The YLAI aims to empower entrepreneurs to strengthen their capacity to launch and advance their entrepreneurial ideas as well as effectively contribute to social and economic development in their home communities.
As a YLAI Fellows, you will have the opportunity to accelerated your commercial and social ventures’ success while developing specific action plans to implement at the end of the program, after returning to your home country. YLAI Fellows build networks, linkages, and lasting partnerships to attract investments and support for their entrepreneurial ventures.
During the fellows program, you will have to participate in the following program components
- You will take part in a four-week Professional Placement in cities across the United States. The placements aim to offer valuable professional development skills and experience at U.S. entrepreneurial organizations from the Fellow’s business sector.
- The fellows program is based on the YLAI Entrepreneurial Leadership Curriculum which includes online and in-person coursework, developed by IREX and Arizona State University (ASU), that combines technical entrepreneurship training and leadership development.
- Fellows will participate in the U.S. Orientation and YLAI Closing Forum in the United States, in Tempe, Arizona and Washington, D.C., as well as networking events with business and social entrepreneurial leaders, and U.S. government representatives.
- The Post-Fellowship Sustained Engagement which will come into practice upon successful completion of the Fellowship. YLAI Fellows continue their collaboration with U.S. partners and have access to ongoing professional development opportunities, mentorships, networking, and alumni activities.
Benefits
Applicants selected for the YLAI Fellowship Program will recieve coverage for all program costs by the U.S. Government
- You will receive J-1 visa support required for your travel to the U.S.
- All accepted fellows will receive a housing and meal stipend during the program.
- Fellows will receive coverage for round-trip travel from their home city to the United States and domestic U.S. travel, as required by the program.
- You will receive YLAI Entrepreneurial Leadership Curriculum coursework and mentoring;
- Fellows will have the opportunity to attend the opening Orientation in Tempe, Arizona and Closing Forum in Washington, D.C.;
- You will be eligible for a limited accident and sickness benefit plan
Eligibility
To be eligible for the YLAI Fellowship Program, you must be a young entrepreneurs who meet the following criteria:
- You must be between the age of 25 and 35 at the start of the Fellowship.
- Applications are accepted from residents and citizens of the following countries.: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curacao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Maarten, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela.
- You must not be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the United States.
- Applicants must be eligible to receive a U.S. J-1 visa enabling them to travel to the U.S.
- Candidates must demonstrate a track record of successfully growing their own business or social venture for at least two years.
- Applicates must demonstrate sufficient proficient in reading, writing, and speaking English.
Application
Please note that applicants will be evaluated without respect to race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexuality, national origin, disability or any other protected characteristic as established by U.S. law. In fact, applicants with disabilities are eligible and strongly encouraged to apply for this YLAI Fellowship Program.
Applications must be completed and there after submitted via the online platform set up for the program. You must submit your application by the deadline of February 25, 2021. All responses in the application, including written responses to essays, must be your own, original work. Using language copied from other past applicant essays or using language from websites is considered plagiarism and will result in disqualification.
To apply, Click here
For more information, visit the official website here
