American Councils for International Education is pleased to announce the start of the new exchange program for young professionals “The Legislative Fellows Program - LFP”, sponsored by the U.S. State Department, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Initiated in 2005 under the auspices of the Legislative Education and Practice (LEAP) program, the LFP affords up to 50 promising young professionals from Georgia, Russia, and Ukraine the opportunity to gain practical experience in, and exposure to, United States government. The knowledge and interest of these young Eurasian professionals in American political processes will be expanded through short-term fellowships in state legislatures and city halls across the United States, as well as on Capitol Hill. In addition, the LFP will enable up to 25 Americans to travel outbound on reciprocal visits. One of the program objectives is to enable Fellows to share their knowledge with peers in Eurasia through a follow-on program in which they will conduct conferences and outreach activities in collaboration with American counterparts. Before departing the U.S., Fellows will be required to submit a short proposal which culminates in establishing a link between their host organization and their home Eurasian city/region. Twenty-five such proposals will be selected for funding enabling American colleagues to complete the exchange.

The duration of the Program is 5 weeks, including orientation prior to departing for the United States and a three-day intensive introduction to the U.S. political process in Denver, CO. In 2010 two delegations of Fellows will go on the Program: the first delegation will travel to the United States in spring with the second delegation following in the autumn.

LFP Eligibility Requirements:

1. Citizen and resident of Georgia, Russia and/or Ukraine;

2. 25-35 years of age;

3. College graduate (Bachelor’s degree or higher);

3. Relevant experience in and commitment to a career in the public sector;

4 Proficiency in English as demonstrated by TOEFL scores over 550 (paper test), 213 (computerized test) or 80 (internet-based test);

5. Demonstrated leadership and collaborative skills;

6. Legislative experience and knowledge as it relates to the applicant’s home country.

The LFP program provides:

• Domestic, international and U.S. domestic travel,
• Visa fee and processing costs,
• Modest stipend
• Health and accident insurance,
• Professional and educational enhancement opportunities, and
• Professional mentoring support during the fellowship.

Housing and meals will be provided for program participants with U.S. host families.

Participants of the Program will be selected through a competitive online application process and an interview. Online application is available at http://apps.americancouncils.org/lfp. Application deadline for whose wishing to participate in the spring 2010 program is December 21, 2009, applications for the fall 2010 program must be received by May 3, 2010.

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