The Community College Global Affairs Fellowship (CCGAF) 2023 

Summer Mentorship Program Application

The application deadline has passed. 

No applications will be accepted after March 3, 2023.

The Community College Global Affairs Fellowship (CCGAF) is a new paid summer enrichment and mentorship program that seeks to expand access to global education opportunities and international affairs careers to community college, transfer, and non-traditional students. A partnership between Meridian International Center, Global Community College Transfers (GCCT), and Community Colleges for International Development (CCID), the CCGAF provides evidence-based skill-building, mentorship and 1:1 coaching, as well as ongoing access to networks and career supports that global affairs students and professionals need to grow in their work, advance to higher levels of leadership, and become decision-makers on the world stage. It builds upon the success of GCCT’s community college and transfer student mentorship program, advances CCID’s work building pathways to global careers at community colleges, and leverages Meridian’s experience developing leadership and diplomatic training for emerging leaders around the world. It is funded through the generous support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The Community College Global Affairs Fellowship has two primary components: a virtual 1:1 mentorship program and a two-week in-person Summer Enrichment Program.

The virtual mentorship program will tentatively begin on May 30 and run through August 16, 2023. Fellows are paired with current international affairs practitioners, many of whom were community college/transfer students. The diverse pool of mentors include Boren, Critical Language, Erasmus Mundus, Fulbright, Marshall, Payne, Pickering, Rangel, and Schwarzman Scholars, along with Presidential Management Fellows and others in the public service sphere. Many work for NGOs, think tanks or government agencies (federal, state and local). The mentorship program consists of compulsory online weekly workshops on topics like resume writing and networking skills, routine mentor-mentee meetings, and completion of several small assignments contributing to the fellow’s professional and personal development. The time commitment for the mentorship component is three hours per week for fellows, including time spent in workshops and completing assignments. The workshops are generally held in the evening (5:10 pm PT/8:10 pm ET).

The Summer Enrichment Program will take place in Washington, DC from Sunday, June 18 to Saturday, July 1, 2023. 

Activities will include:

• An interactive diplomatic skills training course that will introduce fellows to the field of diplomacy and engage them through presentations, group simulations and case studies on a range of soft skills, such as leadership, cross-cultural competency, geopolitical risk, stakeholder mapping, diplomatic communication, information gathering and analysis, and protocol;
• Briefings on how U.S. foreign policy is made and the American system of federalism, which will provide context on the role of the U.S. government in relation to international affairs and state and local governments as well as the importance of democratic governance and supporting democracies globally
• A series of career panel discussions, which will include current global affairs practitioners from the government (e.g., U.S. Department of State, USAID, etc.), NGO community and corporate world to learn more about specific career paths and opportunities;
• Site visits to Federal agencies (e.g., the State Department, Peace Corps), Congress, multilateral institutions (e.g., World Bank), foreign embassies, international affairs media outlets, and think tanks (e.g., Wilson Center, USIP, etc.), which will provide more comprehension of specific agencies and workplaces;
• Speed convenings and conversations with public and non-governmental providers of international affairs internships, scholarships, fellowships, and graduate programs, which will provide detailed information on specific opportunities that are available to the fellows as well as strategies for successful applications;
• Community college and non-traditional student networking sessions with current/former CC/non-traditional/first generation students in the DC area, which will help activate a nationwide alumni network of community college students;
• An evening reception and other dinner opportunities with international affairs professionals, which will offer the chance for fellows to develop their network and Washington, DC connections; and,
• Visits to cultural institutions and attendance at cultural events will also be included.

Who is eligible? 

Participants must be U.S. citizens and U.S. Permanent Residents who are community college, transfer, or non-traditional students from historically underrepresented groups, such as first-generation and low-income, as well as overlooked regions of the country.

Applicants must have or will be receiving an Associate’s Degree by August 2023 AND/OR plan to be starting at a 4-year university by Fall 2023.

What are the requirements? 

Fellows are expected to participate fully in all aspects of both the mentorship and summer enrichment programs, including attending meetings and completion of all assignments.

Fellows are required to prepare one scholarship, fellowship, internship, or job application during the course of the fellowship program. This could include anything from an application to intern with your Member of Congress in Washington to an application for the Peace Corps abroad.

What are the out of pocket costs?

The Community College Global Affairs Fellowship summer enrichment program is designed as a fully paid program. Fellows will be paid a daily stipend of $128.08 as well as receive per diem for meals and incidentals for each day of the summer enrichment program. Roundtrip airfare, lodging in Washington, DC and ground transportation to and from the airport in Washington, DC (IAD, DCA or BWI) will all be covered.

How many participants will there be?

The 2023 program will have approximately 30 participants.

When and where does it take place? 

The Mentorship Program will take place online from May 30 to August 16, 2023.

The Summer Enrichment Program will take place in Washington, DC from Sunday, June 18 to Saturday, July 1, 2023.

What forms will I need for my application?

You will need to upload your resume and your most recent college transcript. This may be an unofficial transcript. One letter of recommendation is encouraged, but not required.

When is the application deadline?

Closed.

What is the selection process? 

We are looking for individuals broadly interested in international affairs and democracy. This means you may know or want to learn foreign languages, live abroad, embrace a variety of cultures and diversity, study global issues, be civically engaged, and defend and champion democratic values, such as free and fair elections and an open and independent press.

A committee composed of representatives from Community Colleges for International Development with participation from Global Community College Transfers and Meridian International Center will review all applications. Based on the information provided in their applications, a select number of applicants will be asked to participate in a 15-minute phone or video conference interview.

When will I be notified? 

Applicants will be notified of selection on or before April 7, 2023.

What is the intended outcome of my participation in this fellowship?

• Build knowledge of different international affairs career pathways;
• Provide you with the awareness, tools and network (relationships) to more effectively obtain scholarships, fellowships, and job opportunities in the field of international affairs;
• Develop better understanding of how diplomatic skills like cultural competency are crucial to the field of international affairs; and,
• Become part of a national network of community college and transfer students interested/working in international affairs and public service.

For more information, please email: Meridian Diplomatic Engagement Associate Vishva Bhatt at vbhatt@meridian.org or Global Community College Transfers at info@globalcctransfers.org.

Meridian International Center: www.meridian.org/

Global Community College Transfers: www.globalcctransfers.org

Community Colleges for International Development: www.ccidinc.org/