Global Ties U.S. MENA-USA Empowering Resilient Girls Exchange (MERGE) Programme 2022

Deadline: September 16, 2022

Applications are open for the Global Ties U.S. MENA-USA Empowering Resilient Girls Exchange (MERGE) Programme 2022. MERGE brings together young women and girls ages 15-19 from the United States and Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region in a supportive virtual space to develop emotional resilience skills.

Participants discuss and experiment with a variety of stress-relief and coping techniques while guided by trained facilitators, engaging in both synchronous (live) and asynchronous exchange.

Programme Details

MERGE is an eight (8) week virtual exchange programme in which you’ll learn about mental health, focusing on your own emotional resilience, and empowering your community. You’ll spend your first week building a supportive global community through cultural exchange activities. The next five weeks will explore practical approaches to strengthening emotional resilience. You’ll be part of a 20-person section — 10 young women from the United States and 10 from the MENA region — and you will support each other in implementing these strategies in your own lives.

Your facilitator will guide you throughout the programme, providing resources and moderating discussions. You’ll interact with other young women through writing and video, and explore apps such as Flipgrid. Two live discussions about leadership and emotional resilience will provide additional perspectives during your program. Prior featured speakers include Bilqis Abdul Qadir, a coach/activist empowering Muslim girls in sports, and Alyson Watson, an entrepreneur developing digital tools to assess mental wellbeing. In MERGE’S final two weeks, your five-person team will create an entry for MERGE’s digital resilience strategies website to share with your community and the world!

Benefits

By participating in MERGE, you will receive:

• A Certificate of Completion in leadership and mental health awareness;
• Access to the U.S. Department of State’s International Exchange Alumni network;
• Eligibility for unique project funding opportunities of up $1,000 from the Stevens Initiative Alumni Small Grants programme.

Eligibility

MERGE participants must:

• Reside in the United States or a MENA region country (Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestinian Territories, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, or Yemen);
• Identify as a girl or young woman;
• Be between the ages of 15 to 19 as of September 26, 2022;
• Speak English at an intermediate level or higher;
• Be available during the program dates listed above;
• Have access to a reliable, internet-connected device (smartphone, tablet, laptop, etc.) that can be utilized for at least three (3) hours a week for the duration of the program;
• Have an interest in mental health, community building, and international exchange.

Application

The second cohort starts September 26, 2022 and ends on November 18, 2022. The programme will require three (3) hours of time each week, generally carried out on your own schedule. You can choose when to complete most activities during the week they become available. You will also join a scheduled video call with your MERGE section at least three times during the programme, the timing of which will be determined in advance.

Click here to apply

For more information, visit MERGE Programme.