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American participant application

UPDATE: Written application deadline extended to November 13, 2022 (11:59 PM)

Application Period: October 14, 2022-November 6, 2022

*This application is free of charge and may be duplicated*

The Youth Leadership Program with Kenya is funded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State and is coordinated locally by the Northern ÁùºÏ±¦µä International Center in partnership with World Learning and the United States Embassy to Kenya.

Dates of American student participation: Selected dates between January 3 - January 21, 2023. Please see and below for required program participation dates.

**Due to the short duration of the program, American students should plan to attend all program activities on the following dates. NNIC will work with your school and district to get the three full-day absences excused**

• January 3-6: Three-night Lake Tahoe Leadership Programming – all meals and lodging included (orientation, introductions, project planning and teambuilding)
• Friday, January 6: 5 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Opening welcome event in Reno
• Monday, January 9: 3:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m. – Team-Building Activity and Dinner
• Wednesday, January 11: 2:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m. - Community Integration Activity and Cultural Activity with Dinner
• Monday, January 16 (MLK Day): 8 a.m.-5 p.m. - Day of service and volunteering
• Tuesday, January 17: 3 p.m.-8 p.m. - Program Closing Preparation and Closing Ceremony – your family is invited to join us for dinner as we celebrate the completion of the program
• January 18-21: Washington D.C. programming - all flights, meals, and lodging included

Program description

The Youth Leadership Program with Kenya is an exchange in the United States for Kenyan and American high school students (ages 15-18) and Kenyan adult educators or community leaders. This cultural exchange will take place in Reno, ÁùºÏ±¦µä and Washington D.C. on January 3-21, 2023. The primary program themes are civic education, community service and youth leadership development. The program will employ a highly interactive approach both in workshops and in a range of public and community settings. U.S. participants selected for the program engage in leadership and civic education workshops, community service activities, visits to local schools and community organizations, project planning and development, and local cultural activities alongside their international peers. As a part of the program, participants create action plans that enable them to implement a community service project.

Eligibility requirements

• Be currently enrolled in a U.S. high school;
• Be between the ages 15 and 18 years old on January 3, 2023;
• Be a U.S. citizen and reside in the United States;
• Have sufficient proficiency in English to participate fully in all exchange activities;
• Demonstrate interest in leadership, good academic performance, community service and the program theme;
• Work cooperatively in a team setting and appreciate the opinions of others;
• Commit to implementing a post-program community-based project;
• Do not have a family member employed by the Northern ÁùºÏ±¦µä International Center or the U.S. State Department;
• Have permission from parent(s) or legal guardian(s) to participate in the entire program. 

We encourage people with disabilities and diverse backgrounds to apply. Opportunities are open to people regardless of their race, color, national origin, sex, religion, socioeconomic status, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity.

COVID vaccination requirements 

If you are selected as a program participant, you will be required to be fully vaccinated prior to the start of the program. In order to be considered fully vaccinated, you must receive:

• A two-dose COVID vaccination such as Pfizer or Moderna (if you have received a two-dose vaccination and your last vaccine dose was before August 1, 2022, you will need to receive a booster shot.)

Or

• A single-shot vaccine such as Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) (if you have received Johnson & Johnson and your last vaccine does was before November 1, 2022, you will need to receive a booster shot.) 

All vaccination series or booster shots must be completed by December 16, 2022. 

Please note that the safety of participants and our communities is our number one priority. In-person exchange on the dates noted above is contingent upon the stabilization of the pandemic, the easing of travel restrictions and the safety of travel.

Instructions for completing the American Youth Participant Application

Follow the steps below to complete the online written application by 11:59 p.m. (PST) on November 6, 2022.

Please note the following

• The information you provide in your application will be used to select semifinalists for this program. Please read all instructions and answer all questions carefully and completely.
• You can access the application to view the information required multiple times, but once you begin to fill out the form, you cannot save your answers to go back later. Therefore, you must complete and scan the one to two (1-2) required Letters of Recommendation and the Signature Page before filling out the application.

1. Print, complete and scan the following documents. These must be uploaded to your online application:

• Letter(s) of Recommendation - one to two (1-2) typed and hand-signed Letter(s) of Recommendation on the form below. We highly recommend that the two people that write your reference letter(s) know you well and in a professional, school or volunteer setting. Some examples of appropriate recommenders are: 
  •  Teachers
  • School administration
  • Club advisors or coaches 
  • Work or internship supervisors

• Youth Leadership Program Youth Participant Signature Page - one(1) hand- signed 2023 Youth Leadership Program with Kenya Youth Participant Signature Page. 

Note: Both you and your parent(s) or legal guardian(s) must hand sign this form. Names typed on a computer will not be accepted. 

2. Complete the personal information and essay questions asked on the online application, upload the one-two (1-2) required Letters of Recommendation and the Signature Page and submit your application by 11:59 p.m. (PST) on November 6, 2022.

Written Application Period: October 14, 2022 - November 6, 2022

Please send any inquiries regarding the application process to Program Coordinator Sara Jones at sjones@nnic.org.