Christianson Fellowship — Fellowship

The Christianson Fellowship is an InterExchange Foundation grant for a self-arranged internship or volunteer service project outside the United States. Fellows work on-site for 6–12 months, with the project as their main activity at about 30 hours per week.

Applicants choose a host organization and design work that benefits a local community while deepening intercultural understanding. Supported areas include community development, public health, legal advocacy, education, poverty alleviation, environmental conservation, microfinance, and human rights.

Benefits & funding

Awards range from $2,500–$10,000 for six-month projects and up to $15,000 for twelve-month projects.
The grant may cover housing, meals, local transport, travel to and from the project, passport and visa costs, and travel medical insurance.
Funding is not expected to be the project’s only source, and it does not cover mid-service trips home.
Awards are paid in two installments: after arrival is confirmed and after the post-service reflection and final content contribution are received.

Eligibility

Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent U.S. residents and be 18–28 when the project starts.
The self-arranged project must take place outside the United States, on-site for at least six months, and average about 30 hours per week as the fellow’s primary activity.
Applicants must bring relevant skills, define project goals and measurable impact, and be ready to learn about the host culture and share their own.
Projects must benefit the local community, involve local residents and leaders, and have effects that continue after the fellow leaves.
Independent research, academic study abroad, degree or credit requirements, and activist, partisan, political, or religious projects are not supported.

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Age requirement
18–28 yrs

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Application process

1
Create an account through the Christianson Fellowship online application.
2
Submit personal and education details, travel history, project goals and safety plans, a documented budget, a one-to-two-page essay, a one-page résumé, and identity documentation.
3
Upload two signed recommendations and a Project Outline completed by the host organization.
4
If selected as a finalist, attend a 30-minute video interview with the InterExchange Foundation Manager.
5
Expect a final decision approximately 6–8 weeks after the deadline.

Program timeline

Application deadline.
October 15, 2026
Approximately two weeks after the deadline
Finalists are invited to a video interview.
Approximately 6–8 weeks after the deadline
All applicants receive decisions.
Regular application deadlines.
March 15 and September 15, beginning in 2027
Applicant-selected date
Project starts, no more than one year after application.
6–12 months after starting
Project ends.