The Embassy of the United States in Romania, together with the American Councils for International Education invite Romanian students between the ages of 18 and 27 who are members of a student association to apply for the sixth edition of the Kennedy Academy for Students. The program is structured around the topics of democracy, civic education and active participation in the community and will take place December 15-19, 2024 in Bucharest.

Although the NGO sector in Romania has grown over the last decades, the environment in which it operates still suffers from a lack of leadership skills and adequate institutionalization. This program offers 15 participants a unique opportunity to learn about leadership and civic engagement. With a focus on improving English communication skills and promoting democratic values, the program aims to develop active civic leaders who can bring positive change in the community. Participation is free and 15 young people will be selected through an online application process. Students will take part in learning sessions, workshops, and institutional visits. The 6th Kennedy Academy will also include an online component, run prior to the academy, with trainers from the U.S.

Kennedy Academy for Students is dedicated to visionary and creative students who want to create tangible change in their organizations/communities. This requires not only passion, but also an understanding of how civil society works, the public system of which they are a part, and the interaction at the national level between these associations and other public institutions. At the end of the programme, students will have the chance to share their newli aquired knowledge with other students, colleagues and teachers and to put their own ideas into practice by carrying out local civic projects in their home organizations or communities.

Eligibility Criteria

The competition is open to youth who meet all of the following criteria:

• are Romanian citizens,
• are at least 18 and at most 27 year old at the beginning of the program (December 15, 2024),
• are currently students (Bachelor, Master of PhD) in the rural or urban areas, in any discipline,
• are members of a Romanian student association / NGO,
• have at least an average level of proficency in English,
• are creative, civically engaged and have good academic records,
• have a proven interest in the topics of the program,
• are available to organize at least one local civic project between December 2024 and February 2025.

Interested youth are invited to apply online by November 3 (11:59 PM EET) through the application form.

For further information on the program and the online application, visit https://www.romania.americancouncils.org/kennedy-academy-for-students-ro.

Contact Person

Iuniana Mîndru-Petre, Senior Program Coordinator

email: kennedyacademy@americancouncils.org

phone: +40 741 740 301