Deadline: May 2, 2017
Applications and nominations are now invited for the 2017-18 WISE Learners’ Voice Program. WISE is now looking for the next cohort of 20 outstanding candidates to apply, or be nominated, to join this growing global community. The successful candidates will be between the ages of 21 and 30, and be able to strongly demonstrate their engagement in the field of education and their work on social issues. They must commit to participating fully in all components of the program, both onsite and online.
Established in 2010, the Learners’ Voice Program brings the perspectives of young people to the challenge of rethinking education, and equips them to take on leading roles in their fields and in the world of education. The program is based on the idea that when Learners are co-creators of their learning environments, they become active participants invested as stakeholders in the progress of their communities. The Program focuses on building knowledge of education, social entrepreneurship, leadership, and communication skills.
Each year, WISE rigorously selects candidates from a diverse pool of applicants who, through their academic, professional and/or personal work, strongly demonstrate their commitment to and engagement in the field of education. In addition to acquiring leadership and communication skills, the Learners are tasked with developing innovative, educational interventions to a pressing social issue identified by WISE. This year the participants will be engaged in theoretical and practical components relating to the Global Forced Migration and Displacement Crisis.
Program Structure
- First Residential Session: Participants will work with WISE partners on the ground to gain a practical understanding of the challenges facing the target demographic and the ecosystem in which they exist.
- Online Project Development: In this component, participants will work in project teams. The project work will begin in the first residential session and will continue to be developed throughout the year with guidance from the Learners’ Voice Team and expert mentors from the WISE community. After thorough evaluation, selected projects will be invited to pitch to an audience of relevant stakeholders, including potential donors and partners.
- Second Residential Session: The group will take part in experiential workshops on social entrepreneurship, innovation and communication delivered by expert faculty. The session will provide participants with the necessary frameworks and skills to refine and strengthen their project proposals, develop their entrepreneurial pitch and pilot their projects.
- Piloting: Based on the strength of their project proposals, selected teams will have the opportunity to pilot their projects with the target community. The purpose of the pilot is to test the idea on a small scale and evaluate its benefits, risks and feasibility. The pilot phase will be conducted in partnership with organizations on the ground.
- Pitch: Based on the findings from the pilot and the strength of the final submission, selected teams will be given the opportunity to pitch their projects to an audience of relevant experts, practitioners and stakeholders
Benefits
WISE – Qatar Foundation will only cover visa fees, flights, accommodation and in country transportation for the selected candidates.
Eligibility
- Candidates must be between the ages of 21 and 30 on December 31, 2017.
- Candidates must be able to travel and must commit to participating in all WISE Learners’ Voice program components.
- Candidates must be able to fully take part in two residential sessions from March 3–18, 2018 in Athens, Greece and June 17 – July 1, 2018 in Madrid, Spain*. Selected participants must provide letters from their school and/or employers confirming their ability to attend both residential sessions.
- Candidates must engage in online project development work and deliver submissions in line with the program deadlines.
- Candidates must hold a valid travel document. All candidates requiring a Schengen Visa must ensure their passport is in compliance with the criteria of the appropriate consulate.
- Candidates must be able to demonstrate their academic and/or professional achievements and experiences to date. Candidates must declare that to the best of their knowledge all information provided is correct and complete. Any false statements or information will result in the rejection of the application.
- Candidates must clearly demonstrate their engagement in the education sector through academic, professional and/or personal accomplishments.
- Candidates must be able to demonstrate their interest and/or engagement in the thematic issue being explored.
- Candidates must be able to work well in multicultural teams.
- Candidates should be proficient in spoken and written English, and should be comfortable presenting and speaking in public. Participants should have strong active listening skills.
- All nominators and applicants agree to respect final selection decisions made by the WISE Team. No appeal or claim can be considered. Should your application be unsuccessful, you can apply/nominate again next year.
- By submitting this form, you are acknowledging the aforementioned terms and committing to them.
Application Process
Application: WISE invites highly motivated learners who can strongly demonstrate their engagement in the field of education to apply for the WISE Learners’ Voice Program by submitting an application form endorsed by two professional referees.
Nomination: WISE invites representatives of institutions, organizations, programs and networks around the world to nominate engaged learners with diverse, outstanding academic and /or personal experiences to participate in the WISE Learners’ Voice Program.
How to apply/nominate?
- Create an account and complete the official form available on the WISE online application system.
- The form must be completed in English.
- Please complete either a nomination form or an application form – not both.
- Please note that forms are considered equivalent and are evaluated using the same criteria.
- The online application system requires that you create an account; this will enable you to complete the form in your own time.
- You will be able to edit and save all parts of the form, and to return to it when you are ready to submit.
- Please note that once you submit the form, the submission is final.
Please be sure to read and fully understand the criteria before applying, or nominating an individual.
For more information, visit WISE Learners’ Voice Program. Read Olaoluwa’s story on her experience.
