|
LFP:
2009-present
The Legislative Fellows Program (LFP) is sponsored by the U.S. State Department,
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. For Georgia, Russia and Ukraine it
is administered by American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS
with support from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).
Initiated in 2005 under the auspices of the Legislative Education
and Practice (LEAP) program, the LFP affords up to 50 promising young
professionals from Georgia, Russia, and Ukraine the opportunity to gain
practical experience in, and exposure to, United States government. The
knowledge and interest of these young Eurasian professionals in American
political processes will be expanded through short-term fellowships in state
legislatures and city halls across the United States, as well as on Capitol
Hill. In addition, the LFP will enable up to 25 Americans to travel outbound on
reciprocal visits. One of the program objectives is to enable Fellows to share
their knowledge with peers in Eurasia through a follow-on program in which they
will conduct conferences and outreach activities in collaboration with American
counterparts. Another unique new feature to the LFP is that it will serve
countries outside Eurasia, meaning that American Councils’ Georgian, Russian and
Ukrainian Fellows will have an opportunity to learn from their peers around the
world (Asia, Africa, etc). Plans are currently underway for a large pan-LFP
conference to take place twice a year in Washington, D.C.
Foreign and domestic participants will be selected through a
competitive online application process scheduled to commence in October 2009.
The first foreign delegation will travel to the United States in spring 2010
with the second group following in the autumn. Reciprocal travel is tentatively
planned for next summer and winter 2010-11.
|
|
