The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and the U.S. Embassy in Oslo invite Norwegian high school students to apply for the Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellows (BFTF) Summer Institute.
The Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellowship is a four-week exchange program to foster relationships among young Europeans and Americans to promote awareness of shared values. The four-week program will enable students ages 16-18 to explore U.S. foreign policy priorities 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, as well as 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.
The program is scheduled to take place in-person from June 25-July 23, 2022. If travel and in-person participation in not feasible due to covid-19, the program will move to a virtual platform. The program will be hosted by Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.
This program is funded by the U.S. Embassy Oslo and the U.S. Department of State.
To apply for this unique opportunity, you should:
- be born between June 24, 2005, and June 24, 2007
- be highly proficient in English
- be committed to enrolling in high school or university in Norway in fall 2022, following completion of the program;
- indicate a serious interest in learning about the United States;
- 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;
- COVID19 vaccinations
We encourage high school students of all backgrounds (including students with disabilities) to apply.
How to apply:
- the application form
- a copy of your preliminary high school grades
- your CV
- a document with three short texts where you answer these questions:
- Why would you be the perfect BFTF 2023 participant? (max 200 words)
- Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? (max 200 words)
- Which three Americans, from history or fiction, would you invite for dinner and a conversation, and why? Be creative! (max 200 words)
Deadline for applications: February 20th, 2023
