Atlas Corps Professional Development Programs 2020 for social change leaders

Application Deadline: October 23rd 2020

Atlas Corps invites social change leaders from around the world to apply for the Blended and In-Person Fellowships and the Virtual Leadership Institute!

Eligibility for the Atlas Corps Programs

— Two or more years of full-time professional experience working to address critical social issues;
— Bachelor’s degree or equivalent;
— English proficiency (oral, writing, reading);
— Age 35 or younger;
— Citizens of EVERY country (except the U.S.) are eligible to apply to all our programs.

Additional requirements for the Blended Fellowship and In-Person Fellowship in the U.S.:
— Commitment to return to your home country after the 12-18 month Fellowship;
— Commitment to living on a basic stipend that only covers food, shared housing, and local transportation.

Additional requirements for the Virtual Leadership Institute:
— Technological capacity to participate in video calls (1-2 per month);
— Availability to commit to 2-3 hours of online activity and assignments per week for 7 months.

Benefits
Fellows – but not their dependents – receive:
a) Program-related international travel;
b) Program-related domestic travel;
c) Basic health insurance that covers new injuries and illnesses (or funds to purchase basic health insurance);
d) Monthly stipend for basic living expenses in the city where the Fellow is placed (shared housing, food, local transportation, and a phone plan);
e) Documentation (DS-2019) that enables the Fellow to obtain a J-1 visa;
f) Placement with a Host Organization;
g) Participation in the Atlas Corps Global Leadership Lab (leadership development training series).

Application Process

You need to submit only one application to be considered for all Atlas Corps professional development programs. Please indicate on your application whether you are interested in the Fellowship, Virtual Leadership Institute, or both.

1. Application & Selection Board Review

Applicants are required to register for an account and save their login information through our online application system so that they can return to the application at any time.

The application includes a brief eligibility test to determine if applicants meet the basic requirements of our programs. Once applicants pass that initial eligibility test, they will be asked to give information on their passport, travel/visa history, language skills, employment history, professional skills, and social issue areas. They will also be asked to complete three short essay questions.

The application also requires additional attachments:

A. An official transcript or diploma from previously attended universities.

B. Two Recommendations: Applicants are required to submit contact information for at least two recommenders who know them in a professional capacity. Applicants will need to send their requests directly through the application system. Their recommenders will receive an email that asks for a recommendation. More detailed instructions can be found in the online application form.

Applicants may submit the online application before they upload their transcript/diploma and before the recommenders complete their forms. However, applicants will not be able to proceed to the later steps of the selection process until the entire application is complete. At that stage, the Atlas Corps Selection Board will review applications to determine to select strong applicants to move on to the interview stage. The Atlas Corps Selection board includes the Atlas Corps staff and nonprofit sector, government, and business leaders from multiple countries.

2. Selection Board Interview (by invitation only)

Atlas Corps selects top applicants who have the potential to match potential Host Organization placements and/or to qualify for the Virtual Leadership Institute for an interview via Skype with the Atlas Corps Selection Board.

3. Semi-Finalist Status

Applicants that pass the interview stage will be designated a Semi-Finalist for the Atlas Corps Fellowship and/or Virtual Leadership Institute. Semi-Finalists for the Fellowship are eligible to be reviewed by potential Host Organizations for placements based on their interests and skillset and the organization’s needs. Semi-Finalists for the Virtual Leadership Institute are eligible to be invited to participate in the program.

4a. Host Organization Review and Interview for the Fellowship (by invitation only)

Potential Host Organizations submit position descriptions for their available Fellowship positions to Atlas Corps. We search our pool of Semi-Finalists for the top candidates that are the best fit for those positions and forward their applications to potential Host Organizations for a review.

Potential Host Organizations invite Semi-Finalists that best match their positions to conduct Skype video interviews with them, moving on to the Finalist stage. The Host Organization may ask for additional information from the Finalists, such as sample assignments.

4b. Invitation to Virtual Leadership Institute

Atlas Corps selects its top Semi-Finalists to invite to the Virtual Leadership Institute. Candidates must submit a brief interest form that describes their technological capacity, availability to attend sessions, and a leadership challenge on which they’d like to focus. Semi-Finalists can be considered for both the Virtual Leadership Institute and the Atlas Corps Fellowship at the same time.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Atlas Corps Professional Development Programs 2020