The Community Engagement Exchange is a year-long leadership program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and implemented by IREX. It serves emerging civil-society and community leaders from the countries listed below.
Fellows complete a hybrid leadership academy, a three-month practicum with a U.S. host organization, and a community project after returning home. The 2026 application is closed, and IREX has not announced the next application period.
Benefits & funding
- J-1 visa support.
- Round-trip travel from the participant’s home city to the United States.
- A monthly allowance for housing, meals, and other living expenses during the U.S. stay.
- Accident and sickness health benefits.
- A three-month professional practicum, leadership training, mentorship, coaching, and access to the CEE network.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be aged 21–27 at the application deadline.
- Eligible citizenships for the 2026 cycle were Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, Tunisia, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Bolivia, Cuba, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Peru, and Venezuela.
- Applicants must normally live and work in their home country; people with refugee status living elsewhere may receive special consideration when working for their home community.
- At least two years of professional or volunteer experience on community or civil-society issues is required.
- Applicants must be working on a community initiative, intend to pursue civil-society work, speak and write English proficiently, qualify for a U.S. J-1 visa, and commit to returning home to implement a project.
- There is no formal education requirement; university students may apply if they study in their home country and meet every other condition.
- U.S. citizens and permanent residents, certain current participants in academic or training programs abroad, applicants with an unfulfilled U.S.-government exchange residency requirement, and people who applied for U.S. permanent residency in the previous three years are ineligible.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Eligible nationalities
Cameroon · DR Congo · Kenya · Madagascar · Mali · Sierra Leone · Uganda · Zimbabwe · Brunei · Myanmar · Cambodia · Laos
+ 25 more
Vietnam · Czechia · Hungary · Poland · Slovakia · Algeria · Egypt · Iraq · Jordan · Lebanon · Palestine · Tunisia · Bangladesh · India · Nepal · Sri Lanka · Tajikistan · Turkmenistan · Bolivia · Cuba · Guatemala · Haiti · Honduras · Peru · Venezuela
Experience required
≥ 2 yrs
Age requirement
21–27 yrs
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Application process
- 1Check the IREX application page for the next opening and confirm every eligibility condition.
- 2Create or access an account in the CEE online application system when applications reopen.
- 3Complete every required section and all eight essays; an additional creative attachment is optional.
- 4Submit by the published deadline and complete any later English assessment and selection steps requested by IREX.
Program timeline
Application deadline for the 2026 cycle.
May 22, 2025, 11:59 p.m. ET
Three-month practicum with a U.S. civil-society organization.
March–June 2026
Community Engagement Project in the fellow’s home community.
July–December 2026
Date not announced
Next application period.