The 2023 BFTF Program application is now open!

The Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellowship is an intensive short-term exchange program, created to foster relationships among young Europeans and Americans to build strong linkages and awareness of shared values. The four- week program will enable students who are 18 years old, to explore urgent issues such as youth engagement, support for democracy and civil society, and economic prosperity. The program will consist of a series of lectures, seminar discussions and presentations, and a broad assortment of practical, faculty- and mentor-led workshops. The coursework and classroom activities will be complemented by community service activities, site visits, social and cultural activities, and homestays with American families to deepen participants’ experience of U.S. society during their exchange.

During the program, participants also will have the opportunity to discuss other topics such as democratic practices, conflict resolution, problem solving, communication skills, critical thinking, tolerance and respect for diversity, youth leadership, team building, disinformation, and the media. The program will explore how freedom of expression provides rights to and imposes responsibilities on citizens. Upon their return home, participants will implement service projects in their communities and present an alumni project plan to a youth-serving or youth-centered organization in their home country. These organizations may include U.S. Mission Youth Councils, American Spaces, and exchange alumni associations.

Program duration – 4 weeks, June 24 – July 22, 2023*.

Candidates nominated for this Fellowship will:

• applicants should be born between June 25, 2004 and March 1, 2005;
• be highly proficient in English, as demonstrated in a personal interview or the results of a standardized test;
• be committed to enrolling in high school or university in their home countries in fall 2023, following completion of the institute;
• demonstrate strong leadership potential and interest in transatlantic relations and diplomacy;
• indicate a serious interest in learning about the United States;
• demonstrate a high level of academic achievement, as indicated by academic grades, awards, and teacher recommendations;
• demonstrate a commitment to community and extracurricular activities;
• have had little or no prior U.S. study or travel experience in the United States;
• be mature, responsible, independent, confident, open-minded, tolerant, thoughtful and inquisitive;
• be willing and able to fully participate in an intensive summer program, with community service and educational travel;
• be comfortable with campus life, shared living accommodations, travel and interaction with a multinational, co-ed group of participants from across Europe and the United States;
• be comfortable engaging with the Americans they meet in the host communities; and
• be able to adjust to cultural and social practices different from those of their home countries.

If you have any questions about the BFTL Program, please email apply.exchanges@gmail.com

If you want to apply, please email us the application form to apply.exchanges@gmail.com

Application deadline: February 19, 2023 (23:59 Moscow time)

*Please note that travel to and around the United States in the summer of 2023 is dependent on the situation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions.

• Student Form (DOCX, 366KB)
• Teacher Form (DOCX, 366KB)