The Cultural Leadership Fellowship (CLF) is a community program within Scholar Fund. CLF’s program goal is to support undocumented leaders by immersing in new and different perspectives in the United States and globally, engaging in experiential leadership, and learning to collaborate with other fellows across multiple professions and spaces. 

We are dedicated to providing experiential learning opportunities through Advance Parole, enabling participants to gain first-hand experiences. During this immersive culturally sustaining summer program, fellows will also have the ability to engage in community-based ethnography for an additional two to three weeks in their country of choice. 

The learnings taken from the travel experience will allow our fellows to learn from the countries they visit and understand the significant differences and similarities with their local communities. As we strive to create a more equitable and just world, it is vital for us to learn from community experiences rooted in cultural justice that lead to inspiring action and local community impact.

The Cultural Leadership Fellowship: DACA International Program online application is open and will close on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, at 11:59 PM (PST).

To be eligible for consideration for our program, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Must be undocumented with an approved Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and work permit to be able to apply for Advance Parole. 
• Must live in the United States and have a valid passport from the respective country of origin by Friday, May 31, 2024, and must be valid for at least 6 months after the program dates.
• Must be at least 18 years old by the start of the program.
• Must participate in ALL PROGRAM activities. 
• Must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at the time of application, and must obtain the most-recent COVID-19 vaccine prior to travel. There will not be exceptions.
• Must follow COVID-19 safety protocols, including wearing a K/N95 mask indoors, transportation (plane, train, bus, etc.), and other spaces regardless of CDC, state, or country mandates. 
• Must test negative for COVID-19 the day of arrival in the country, and continuously, through the program.
• Must be able to pay round-trip airfare from the United States and the host countries. 
• Must be able to pay the program fee and any additional fees (visa, passport fees, etc.)

Each fellow will have the opportunity to attend one program, with the ability to expand their ethnographic research to other regions or countries. 

*$950 of the program fee is a non-refundable deposit.

Based on your country of citizenship, you may need to apply for a tourist visa. Please check if you need to apply for a tourist visa to the program countries:

• Administrative costs for the fellowship.
• Lodging, meals, local transportation, entrance fees to field-trip sites, etc. 
• Advance Parole fee and application guidance.
• COVID-19 care package, including home tests, masks, and hand sanitizer.
• Travel insurance (up to 75% of program costs, not including the non-refundable deposit described below).

* The program fee does not include flights. Cost of airfare will be covered by the applicant.

* Scholarships are not available at this time; we highly encourage accepted fellows to fundraise and/or ask their employers to sponsor this cost as a professional development opportunity.

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