Community Solutions opportunities for partners

Community Solutions opportunities for partners

Photo of fellows and hosts in Washington, DC.

The Community Solutions Program is looking for community partners.

Community Solutions believes that connecting community leaders inspires learning and collaboration for stronger communities. Our network of leaders includes our fellows, alumni, and our community partners in the United States.

Community Solutions participants are engaged global community leaders working in transparency and accountability, peace and conflict resolution, environmental issues, and women and gender issues. Leaders participating in the program come from over 98 countries for a fellowship in the United States from August to December each year.

Partnership opportunities include hosting a fellow at your U.S. organization for a four-month practicum, connecting fellows to the local community during their four-month U.S. fellowship as a community liaison, helping recruit fellows for the program, and more. 

If you are interested in partnering with Community Solutions, review the partnership opportunities below!

Partnership Opportunities

  • Host a fellow at your U.S.-based organization: Host a fellow at your organization for a 32-hour per week practicum from August to November. Alternatively, partner with another organization in your city to co-host a fellow. IREX seeks community-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, grassroots organizations, government offices, legislative bodies, and private entities that actively engage in community development projects within the United States and are passionate about global connections and cross-cultural idea exchange.
  • Facilitate cross-cultural exchange activities as a U.S. Community Liaison: Become a connector in your U.S. community to help fellows navigate their new city, establish mutual understanding, and arrange events that connect fellows, host organization representatives, and local community members.
  • Host a fellow in your home: Host a fellow in your home for a unique cultural exchange experience.
  • Support the recruitment and selection of our next cohort of CSP fellows: Share the Community Solutions application with your networks to help us find the next cohort of fellows and/or serve on the Selection Committee to review applications and interviews of potential fellows.
  • Share your expertise with fellows: Community Solutions convenes fellows in Washington, D.C. at the start and conclusion of their U.S. experience and engages fellows and alumni through our online Community Leadership Institute. You may serve as a panelist, lead a workshop, webinar, or discussion to share your expertise with fellows. 

Why host a Community Solutions fellow at your organization?

Connect and network with innovative community leaders: Community Solutions fellows are emerging experts and leaders in their fields, who are motivated to contribute to and learn from U.S. organizations. IREX pre-screens applicants through an extensive selection process, ensuring that fellows are prepared to actively contribute to the organization and the surrounding community.

Hosts can cultivate long-lasting global networks, share knowledge and expertise, and collaborate to create practical and innovative solutions to shared challenges with likeminded leaders around the world.

Gain international perspectives: Hosts benefit from the diverse expertise, experiences, cultures, and professional backgrounds that Community Solutions fellows bring. Fellows also bring a fresh perspective to their U.S. host organization (see list of countries below). Hosts can also increase their organization’s capacity to accomplish its mission.

Increase your organization’s publicity: Outstanding organizations receive free promotion through IREX to a network of over 400 U.S.-based organizations and over 700 global community leaders.

Create lasting impact: Hosts can contribute to positive lasting change in the fellows’ home communities by sharing their expertise and networks and strengthening community engagement.

No cost:  IREX sponsors fellows’ visas and English language testing, provides complete financial support, and monitors and supports the fellows’ activities throughout the duration of the program.

Host Organizations’ Contributions

  • Designate a host collaborator and peer collaborator: Host organizations will designate full-time staff members who will serve as the fellow’s host collaborator and peer collaborator. The host collaborator should be excited to collaborate with a fellow from a different culture and background who is focusing on similar technical areas and will support the fellow in their professional growth. The peer collaborator will informally support the fellows’ practicum experience and provide useful information about the organization. Host partners will participate in a virtual orientation to prepare for the fellowship.
  • Engage in collaboration: Host organizations collaborate with fellows for 32 hours per week from August through November on mutually beneficial projects during their U.S. practicum. Hosts also provide support as their fellows design six-month follow-on projects to implement in their home countries after the fellowship and are encouraged to collaborate with their fellows on the implementation of these projects.
  • Facilitate networking opportunities: Host organizations facilitate fellows' experiential learning and connect fellows to colleagues, opportunities, and other relevant professionals within the organization and community.
  • Provide a workspace: Host organizations provide office space, access to a computer, e-mail, and Internet facilities during business hours. 

Additional Information

CSP Fellows’ Countries

Africa: Botswana, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe

East Asia and the Pacific: Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam

Europe: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Turkey, and Ukraine

Middle East & North Africa: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, West Bank/Palestinian Territories

South and Central Asia: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan

Western Hemisphere: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela

Contact

To learn more about being a community partner, please fill out our Partner Interest Form. For questions, please send an e-mail to csp@irex.org