Deadline: April 30, 2021
Applications are open for the American India Foundation (AIF) Banyan Impact Fellowship 2021. The Banyan Impact Fellowship is an interdisciplinary experiential learning program that places young professionals from India and the U.S. in service with communities across India.
Through collaboration and capacity-building, Fellows and local communities exchange knowledge and skills to steer projects that advance social and economic development. Fellows learn about grassroots development and inclusive leadership. They encourage young change-makers who are passionate about social impact and ready to get to work to apply for this year’s inaugural cohort.
Cost
- For U.S. Fellows, AIF provides a roundtrip ticket from their point of origin to India, along with insurance coverage, emergency support, and a monthly living stipend.
- For Indian Fellows, AIF provides domestic travel from their hometowns in India, insurance coverage, emergency support, and a monthly living stipend.
Please note that the stipend is not a salary, but a living allowance designed to enable Fellows to volunteer in India. The stipend covers basic living expenses such as rent, meals and incidentals, and local transportation related to a Fellow’s project.
Eligibility
Candidates must:
- Be a U.S. or Indian citizen, or a U.S. permanent resident;
- Be between the ages of 21 and 35 on November 1, 2021;
- Have completed a Bachelor’s degree (or higher) before the start of the program on November 1, 2021.
- Be fluent in English. It is not a requirement for Fellows to speak other local languages, however it is considered a valuable skill in the selection process and taken into consideration when placing Fellows with AIF partner organizations. If accepted into the program, Fellows may be eligible to receive some language training in a local language related to their project.
Expectations
Fellows are expected to complete the following during their service in India:
- Meeting or exceeding expectations of the Fellowship, including upholding their commitment to AIF and their host organization
- Participation at Orientation, Midpoint, and Endpoint, and other program related events
- Adherence to the policies and agreements between Fellow, AIF and partner organizations
- Full completion of the Fellowship program
- Timely submission of monthly and quarterly reports and other program deliverables
- Contribution of regular posts on the AIF Blog
- Prompt settlement of finances and logistical items throughout the Fellowship
- Completion of end of service documents and presentations
All Fellows are expected to complete the full program, while upholding basic values and principles of trust, honesty, and integrity. Fellows are expected to embrace and engage with multiple challenges, and take a lot of initiative in the structuring and completion of their projects. Fellows must abide by host organization work calendars and work complete workweeks in accordance with organizational policy and procedure, which in India commonly involves working on Saturdays.
Application
The application is a highly competitive, multi-stage process consisting of an online application, an in-person interview, and a competitive matching process for short-listed candidates.
For more information, see FAQ and visit AIF Fellowship.
