Community Engagement Exchange Program in USA: Fully Funded

Community Engagement Exchange Program in USA: Fully Funded. This exchange program is a program that aims to improve skills among its participants and improve cooperation and peace among various countries or nations. 

Statistics show that 98% and 100% of 2022 community engagement exchange participants report an improvement in their job skills and soft skills respectively. Community Engagement Exchange Program comes with several benefits like sickness and accident insurance, J-1 visa support, and round-trip travel in the United States. 

In this article, I highlight everything you need to know about the fully funded Community Engagement Exchange Program in the United States of America. 

About Community Engagement Exchange Program (CEEP) in USA

CEEP is a global network that gives its participants the skills, resources, and expertise to develop strategies and build healthy and peace-driven communities in over 100 countries. 

The Community Engagement Exchange Program is an avenue to establish peace and improve cooperation among various nations and countries. This is done by improving and enhancing civil society leaders to create a participatory community. 

CEEP is an international platform in the USA for upcoming and influential leaders to use their strengths to establish work networks and healthy relationships between communities. The duration of the Community Engagement Exchange Program is one year. 

CEEP is an initiative by the United States Government. This program is supported by the International Research and Exchange Board (IREX). 

Purpose of CEEP

The major purpose of CEEP is on participatory factors needed for growth in a society. These factors include:

• Sustainable development,
• Youth participation and resilience,
• Participatory government, and 
• Gender equality.

With these factors put in place, young leaders can partner and create a diverse and multi-disciplinary worldwide civil society system.

Also, CEEP creates opportunities for students to reflect upon issues of public concern and come up with solutions to reduce rising problems in society. 

Community Engagement Exchange Program helps to build decision-making and leadership skills in youths. Hence, improves international relations and the exchange of culture. 

Themes of CEEP

The Community Engagement Exchange Program in USA centers on five major themes:

1. Open and participatory government
2. Civil dialogue and peacebuilding
3. Youth engagement
4. Women and gender
5. Resilience and sustainable development

1. Open and participatory government

Participants will learn about civic engagement, accountability, press freedom, fair elections, civic education, civil liberties, human rights, good governance, anti-corruption efforts, and ethics, among others.

2. Civil dialogue and peacebuilding

Community Engagement Exchange participants will learn about techniques and models that improve civic membership, deliberative participation, public discourse, and partnership across several communities.

3. Youth engagement

CEE participants will learn about how to empower youth voices, provision of community engagement, build multigenerational connections, and volunteer opportunities that will help prepare the next generation of citizens.

4. Women and gender

As a participant of CEE, you will learn models for ensuring that women and gender are marginalized. These models are important because gender is an aspect of public life.

5. Resilience and sustainable development

CEE participants will learn how to engage communities to address food access, security, health, social entrepreneurship, climate change, water and resource management. 

Components of CEEP

There are four main components of the Community Engagement Exchange Program in USA:

1. Leadership and Civic Engagement Academy
2. Practicum in the United States of America
3. Community Engagement Project
4. Community Engagement Project (CEP) Exchange

1. Leadership and Civic Engagement Academy

Community Engagement Exchange participants can explore CEEP themes through an interactive curriculum. This curriculum includes: 

• Face-to-face training, 
• Professional coaching, 
• Mentorship, and 
• Service learning.

2. Practicum in the United States of America

The International Research and Exchange Board (IREX) matches participants to civil society organizations throughout USA. From there, assigned supervisors and peers will help CEEP participants through a three-month hands-on professional practicum.

3. Community Engagement Project

CEE participants can design and plan a community engagement project with the help of a U.S. host organization and mentors. This project is usually carried out after the participants have returned to their home communities. 

4. Community Engagement Project (CEP) Exchange

Here, selected CEE participants will travel to CEE alumni countries and work together to improve the implementation of a project. What the participant learns from the alumnus’ country will be brought back to strengthen communities across the U.S. and their home country.

Eligible Regions for Community Engagement Exchange Program in USA

Below here are the regions and countries eligible for the Community Engagement Exchange Program:

1. Europe and Eurasia

Countries here are Albania, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Serbia, Slovakia, Turkey, Ukraine, Armenia, Bosnia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Hungary, Kosovo, Lithuania, Moldova, Latvia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, and North Macedonia.

2. South and Central Asia

This region includes Nepal, Uzbekistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Turkmenistan, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan. 

3. Africa

These countries include Nigeria, Niger, Zambia, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Namibia, Rwanda, Cameroun, Angola, Botswana, Ghana, Congo, Guinea, Senegal, Sierra Leon, South Sudan, and Mozambique.

4. Middle East and North Africa

Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Syria, Tunisia, Egypt, Israel, Morocco, Algeria, West Bank/Palestinian territories.

5. East Asia and the Pacific

Papua New Guinea, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam, Burnel, Fiji, Indonesia, Laos, Mongolia, Malaysia, Federated States of Micronesia, Cambodia, Marshall Islands, and Singapore.

You can visit CEEP’s official website to see the full number of countries eligible to participate in the program. 

Eligibility for CEEP

Participants must:

1. Be citizens of the eligible countries for CEEP.
2. Be at least 21 – 28 years old.
3. Be proficient in the English language. 
4. Have a minimum of two years of volunteering.
5. Be able to stay in the United States for three months.
6. Not been a permanent resident of the U.S. for the past three years.
7. Be willing to serve their country for two years after the program.
8. Represent their home country if they hold a refugee status.

What Community Engagement Exchange Program Covers

CEEP funding covers:

• A round trip from your hometown to the United States.
• Sickness and accident insurance. 
• J-1 visa support
• Monthly stipend to cover meals, housing, and other expenses.

To apply for the Community Engagement Exchange Program, fill out the CEEP Online Application Form, provide the needed documents/details, and submit.

Conclusion

Community Engagement Exchange Program in USA is a platform that allows its participants to come up with strategies to build a healthy and peace-driven community in over 100 countries. The CEE program is open for participants from regions like Africa, East Asia and Pacific, Europe, and South and Central Asia.