Atlas Corps Fellowship 2020 for Social Change Leaders (Fully-funded to the US)

Deadline: November 3, 2019

Applications are open for another cycle of the Atlas Corps Fellowship 2020. The Atlas Corps Fellowship is a 12-18 month Fellowship in the United States for the world’s top social change leaders. Fellows serve full-time at Host Organizations to develop leadership skills and learn effective practices through the Atlas Corps Global Leadership Lab professional development series and networking opportunities with other Fellows.

The Atlas Corps Fellowship is designed for mission-driven individuals seeking social change. Competitive applicants will have 2-10 years of experience, and most tend to be in the nonprofit/NGO sector. The U.S. Fellowship begins every three months. In 2020, Fellowships will start in January, April, July, and October. Each Fellowship begins with a one-week orientation program.

Benefits

This prestigious fellowship includes a living stipend to cover basic expenses (food, local transportation, and shared housing) and health insurance.

Fellows – but not their dependents – receive:

• Program-related international travel (U.S. Fellows only)
• Program-related domestic travel
• Basic health insurance
• Monthly stipend for basic living expenses (shared housing, food, local transportation)
• Documentation (DS-2019) that enables the Fellow to obtain a J-1 visa.
• Placement at a Host Organization
• Participation in the Atlas Corps Global Leadership Lab (nonprofit management training series)

Eligibility

• Applicants should have two or more years of relevant experience;
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent;
• English proficiency (oral, writing, reading);
• Age 35 or younger;
• Apply to serve in a country other than where you are from (U.S. citizens are not eligible for the U.S. Fellowship);
• Commitment to return to your home country after the 12-18 month Fellowship;
• Commitment to living on a basic stipend that only covers food, shared housing, and local transportation.

Application

They consider applications on a rolling basis, though they encourage you to apply as soon as possible to be considered for Host Organization placements. The application is a multi-step process. The Fellow Classes start four times a year: January, April, July, and October.

• Application & Selection Board Review: Applicants are required to register for an account and save their login information through othe online application system so that they can return to the application at any time. The application includes a brief eligibility test to determine if applicants meet the basic requirements of the Fellowship. Once applicants pass that initial eligibility test, they will be asked to give information on their passport, travel/visa history, language skills, employment history, professional skills, and social issue areas. They will also be asked to complete three short essay questions.
  • The application also requires additional attachments:
    • An official transcript or diploma from previously attended universities.
    • Two Recommendations: Applicants are required to submit contact information for at least two recommenders who know them in a professional capacity. Applicants will need to send their requests directly through the application system. Their recommenders will receive an email that asks for a recommendation. More detailed instructions can be found in the online application form.
• Selection Board Interview (by invitation only): Atlas Corps selects top applicants who have the potential to match potential Host Organization placements for an interview via Skype with the Atlas Corps Selection Board.
• Host Organization Review (by invitation only): When you apply for the Atlas Corps Fellowship, you’re not applying for a specific Host Organization or a specific start date. You are applying for the opportunity to be considered by Atlas Corps and potential Host Organizations for placements starting throughout the year. Applicants that pass the interview stage will be designated a Semi-Finalist which means they are eligible to be reviewed by potential Host Organizations for placements based on their interests and skillset and the organization’s needs.
• Host Organization Interview (by invitation only): Host Organizations invite Semi-Finalists that best match their positions to conduct Skype video interviews with them, moving on to the Finalist stage. The Host Organization may ask for additional information from the Finalists, such as sample assignments.
• Selection and Visa Process: Host Organizations will make their final recommendations to Atlas Corps, and Atlas Corps will notify the selected applicants. After being selected, Fellows will go to the U.S. Embassy in their respective countries to apply for a J-1 visa. Atlas Corps will provide support in obtaining this visa.
• Semi-Finalists who are not selected by a Host Organization will be notified and may be given the option to keep their application on file for consideration for the next class of the Fellowship. Atlas Corps will continually reassess Semi-Finalists to determine if they are still in consideration for future Fellowship placements.

Click here to apply

Note: 

• Read tips for applying to the Atlas Corps Fellowship by Oyindamola Johnson.

For more information, visit Atlas Corps.