Deadline: February 7, 2023
Program Information
The Alumni Thematic International Exchange Seminar (Alumni TIES) program will convene 40 alumni of U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs in Santiago, Chile on May 22-26, 2023 on the theme of “Municipal Environmental Resilience and Inclusiveness.” This seminar is for ExchangeAlumni, over the age of 18, from countries in the Americas.
This seminar will feature thematic breakout sessions, interactive panel discussions, and engagement with prominent organizations working on the intersection of the environment and socio-ecological resilience against climate change.
Seminar activities will begin with a welcome reception in the evening of Monday, May 22, and end with a closing dinner on Thursday, May 25. May 21 (in some cases), May 22, and May 26 will be travel days.
Selected participants will focus on the following priorities:
- Learn how to apply a multi-sectoral approach for building climate resilience by strengthening the capacity of communities in the Americas to address the challenges of climate change including water, food, and economic security.
- Better prepare for and respond to the ways that climate change undermines economic growth, public health, and safety in marginalized communities and vulnerable populations.
- Collaborate and create ideas to build green infrastructure and transition to renewable energy with the support of community members.
- Strategize creative ways to reengage community stakeholders, elected officials, technology companies, and educators in the development of sustainable environmental practices with indigenous and local knowledge.
- Apply for small grants that focus on topics related to socio-ecological resilience against climate change, participatory decisionmaking in climate change adaptation practices, and access to green energy for marginalized populations.
Participants will have the exclusive opportunity to design and collaborate on regional proposals for community-based projects of up to $10,000 USD.
In advance of the seminar, selected participants will meet for virtual, pre-seminar meetings during the week of April 10-14, 2023.
To learn more about the Alumni TIES program, please visit https://www.alumnities.org
Participant Eligibility
Forty alumni of U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs from countries in the Americas will be selected for this program. Alumni participants will have environmental/climate related professional or exchange experience with preference for candidates who are members of local governments that are in positions that oversee renewable and smart energy, green infrastructure, environmental justice and resilience, public health, countering disinformation, economic development, and empowering minority communities. U.S. citizen alumni must have prior experience in Latin America and/or the Caribbean.
- Alumni TIES are intensive seminars and full participation is expected in the virtual, pre-seminar meetings and the in-person seminar.
- Alumni TIES participants must be at least 18 years of age.
- Alumni TIES seminars are conducted in English. Interpretation and translation services will not be provided.
- Alumni TIES participants must possess a valid passport (with an expiration date at least six months after May 26, 2023), with the exception of the countries below.
- Alumni TIES participants from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Uruguay can enter Chile with their national identification card and do not need a passport.
If you participated in an Alumni TIES seminar within the past two years, you are not eligible for participation in this seminar. You will be eligible to apply for future seminars that will occur two years from your latest Alumni TIES seminar.
Please note that individuals in the following circumstances are NOT eligible for Alumni TIES seminars.
- Employees and their families of nonprofit organizations who administer the Alumni TIES Program on behalf of the U.S. Department of State are not eligible. This provision does not disqualify self-supporting members who live apart from their families.
- Employees of the U.S. government are ineligible for seminars or for grants during the period of their employment and for one year following the termination of employment.
- Spouses and dependent children of U.S. government employees for a period of one year following the termination of such employment are not eligible. This provision does not disqualify self-supporting members who live apart from their families.
Terms and Conditions of Participation
Please review the terms and conditions of participation and the acknowledgment of risk agreement. If you are selected for the seminar, you will be required to sign and submit the terms and conditions of participation and acknowledgment of risk agreement before World Learning can begin travel arrangements. If you have any questions about these documents, please contact the Alumni TIES team at AlumniTIES@worldlearning.org.
Please click on the hyperlinks below to access the documents.
Alumni TIES Terms and Conditions of Participation
Acknowledgment of Risk Agreement Form
Funding
The U.S. Department of State sponsors the Alumni TIES program in partnership with World Learning, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization. With funding provided by the U.S. Department of State, World Learning will cover the costs for round-trip airfare, health insurance, visa fees and travel for visa interviews (if applicable), incidental travel expenses (airport transfers, meals, etc.), and lodging.
Application Instructions
This application is for U.S. citizen alumni and international alumni with U.S. legal permanent residency. International alumni who are non-U.S. citizens will be nominated by the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in their home countries.
Please complete this form by 23:59 Eastern Time (UTC-5) on February 7, 2023. For any questions about the seminar, please email AlumniTIES@worldlearning.org. The Alumni TIES team will respond to your questions within one business day. You will receive a notification regarding your candidacy by February 22 from the Office of Alumni Affairs in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
The following items are required in order for your application to be considered for selection:
1. Completed Application Form (Deadline: February 7, 2023)
2. Submitted Recommendation Form (Deadline: February 14, 2023)
Please ask an individual who has worked with you in a professional, academic, or volunteer setting related to the seminar topic to complete the recommendation form. You can request the recommendation by clicking on this link: https://fs27.formsite.com/7qgNwC/gbperc5w1c/index.html. You may submit this form more than once if your first recommender is unavailable.
You will receive an email notification after your recommender has submitted the recommendation form.
If your recommender cannot complete an online form, please ask that person to send a recommendation letter in a Word or PDF document to AlumniTIES@worldlearning.org. For any questions about the seminar or online application, please email AlumniTIES@worldlearning.org. The Alumni TIES team will respond to your questions within one business day. No phone calls will be accepted.
IMPORTANT: Please click “Submit” at the bottom of this page when you have completed the form. This form will not be considered until you submit it. You will receive an e-mail notification after you have submitted the form. You may use the “save and return” option to save your work and return to edit it later.
Questions with an asterisk (*) are required.