Valletta, Malta
January 4, 2011
It gives me great pleasure to inform you of the Department of State’s “Benjamin Franklin
Transatlantic Fellows Initiative: Summer Institute”, which will be held in the U.S. in
July 2011. This initiative is intended to foster relationships among the younger
generations of Europeans and Americans in order to advance global freedom, build
relationships between youths, and advance shared values in light of the global challenges
of the 21st century. The initiative is named after the American statesman and diplomat
Benjamin Franklin in honor of the inspiration his own life and career provides those who
are working to strengthen transatlantic cooperation.
In today's terms, Franklin could be called a transatlantic man, someone whose career,
interests, studies and life took him back and forth across the Atlantic Ocean, bringing
Americans and Europeans closer in understanding. Even 300 years after his birth,
Franklin’s life offers inspiration to young citizens of today and helps bridge the Atlantic.
As a diplomat and a printer, he leveraged the power of diplomacy and the media to
explore how Americans and Europeans view each other and the world.
The Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Summer Institute
The specific goals of the Institute are (1) to develop a commitment to transatlantic
cooperation; (2) to foster relationships between American and European youth from
different ethnic, religious, and national groups; (3) to promote mutual understanding
between the United States and Europe, and (4) to develop a cadre of young leaders who
will share their knowledge and skills with their peers through positive action.
The Summer Institute will enable teenagers between the ages of sixteen and eighteen to
participate in an intensive, three-week exchange program in the United States that
focuses on the global issues that European and American youth face on both sides of the
Atlantic Ocean. Students will participate in a variety of activities such as training
sessions, workshops, community and/or school-based programs, and cultural events.
Participants will work together to prepare a joint project that presents and promotes the
Institute’s stated goals and objectives.
Before and during the Institute, students will gather information on young adults, views
about one or two areas of common or global interest, such as sustainable development,
inter-ethnic cooperation, or human rights. The program will also provide the participants
with a new perspective on mass media and how they learn about each other and the
communities in which they live, and the broader media culture. This will include training
on the critical reading of printed, broadcast, and electronic media and the ability to judge
the content and accuracy for themselves. Training will focus on communication and
presentation skills, problem solving, and team building.
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Forty-five students from throughout Europe will be selected to participate in the program.
We invite you to nominate one candidate from your school who you believe would
benefit from and contribute to the Summer Institute. Your nominee should have the
following characteristics: a strong interest in learning more about the transatlantic
relationship, the role of a free press in a democracy, and an interest in public or
community service; a strong demonstrated interest in communications, advocacy, debate,
or civic participation; the academic aptitude for a program of this nature; and personal
qualities such as maturity, strong social skills, flexibility, and open-mindedness. These
factors are particularly important given the diverse group atmosphere of the Institute.
Fluency in English is essential.
Your nominee must demonstrate a serious interest in pursuing leadership opportunities in
civic society in Malta, and demonstrate a genuine desire to learn first hand about the
United States, its people, society, and institutions. If selected, he/she will be expected to
fully and seriously participate in all program components during the three weeks, as well
as in follow up activities in Malta. In addition, he/she should be ready to inform and
educate Americans about the culture of Malta in non-structured gatherings and in public
presentations.
International travel costs and visa costs will be paid by the American Embassy. Tuition,
ground transportation in the U.S., food and accommodation expenses will be paid by the
Department of State's Office of Education and Cultural Affairs. The successful candidate
will only need personal spending money.
The closing date for nominations is Friday, February 19. The nominees will be invited to
an interview with a number of Embassy officials after which the applications will be
forwarded to the Department of State for consideration. The final decision on which
candidate will participate in the program rests solely with the Department of State.
Below, please find a fact sheet describing the Summer Institute in more detail, and a
program nomination form. Please note that nominees must complete each item on the
form.
We certainly hope that you are interested in this program and we look forward to
receiving your nomination on or before February 19, 2011.
Sincerely,
Elijah Waterman
Attaché, Press and Cultural Affairs
NOMINATION FORM
PLEASE NOTE PASSPORT MUST BE VALID FOR AT LEAST SIX MONTHS
AFTER SETPEMBER 2011.
A. Last (family) name as on passport;
B. First name as on passport;
C. Middle name(s) as on passport;
D. Date of birth (month/day/year);
E. City of birth;
F. Country of birth;
G. Country of residence;
H. Country of citizenship;
I. Nominee’s full address (include apartment number, street, city, state, and postal zone);
J. Home telephone number;
K. Cell phone number;
L. E-mail (if applicable);
M. Gender;
N. Medical, physical, dietary or other personal considerations (please note, no physical
examination is required to participate in the program);
O. Name of nominee’s high school or college/university;
P. Nominee’s field of study (if applicable);
Q. Other educational, academic and professional experience or training. Please also note
any special honors or awards received;
R. Work experience, including positions and titles (if applicable);
S. Active memberships;
T. Special interests and extracurricular activities;
U. Previous travel and study experience in the United States. Please include dates and
indicate whether such travel was supported by U.S. government funds;
V. Evidence of competence in written and oral English (e.g., personal interview, test
score, etc.);
W. Future study or career plans;
FACT SHEET – BENJAMIN FRANKLIN SUMMER INSTITUTE FOR YOUTHS
Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellows Initiative:
Summer Institute for Youth
Executive Summary: The Summer Institute for Youth, a project under the Benjamin Franklin
Transatlantic Fellows Initiative is a three-week U.S.-based institute that will take place in the summer of
2011 for up to 55 teenagers aged 16-18 from Europe and the United States. It will focus on civic
education, leadership development, and community activism as a way to unite young adults across the
Atlantic Ocean.
Overview: The Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellows Initiative aims to foster relationships among the
younger generation of Europeans and Americans in order to advance the global freedom agenda, to serve as
a basis to build strong links and awareness of shared values, and to enable youth to face together the
challenges of global circumstances in the 21st Century. The initiative is named after the legendary
American statesman and diplomat in honor of the inspiration his own life and career provides those who
want to increase transatlantic cooperation.
The Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellows Initiative: Summer Institute for Youth will enable teenagers
(ages 16-18) to participate in an intensive, three-week exchange program in the United States that focuses
on the global issues that European and American youth face on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
Participants will be engaged in a variety of activities such as training sessions, workshops, community
and/or school-based programs, and cultural events. Participants will work together to prepare a joint
project that presents and promotes the Institute’s stated goals and objectives.
Goals: The goals of the Transatlantic Fellows Program are (1) to develop a sense of civic responsibility
and a commitment to transatlantic cooperation among youth; (2) to foster relationships among youth from
different ethnic, religious, and national groups; (3) to promote mutual understanding between the United
States and Europe; and (4) to develop a cadre of youth leaders who will share their knowledge and skills
with their peers through positive action.
With the specific focus of this Institute, the following outcomes will indicate a successful project:
Participants will work together to identify and overcome misunderstanding or lack of understanding
among nations both during the Institute and after they return to their homes.
Participants will develop critical thinking skills that will enable them to judge how effectively various
media convey factual information to present accurate images of diverse cultures.
Participants will demonstrate a better understanding of U.S.-Europe relations and issues.
Participants will gain an understanding of the roles of the media and public perceptions in diplomacy.
Theme: In today's terms, Benjamin Franklin could be called a transatlantic man, someone whose career,
interests, studies and life took him back and forth across the Atlantic Ocean, bringing Americans and
Europeans closer in understanding. His life offers inspiration to young citizens of today in the effort to
bridge the Atlantic, even 300 years later. As a diplomat and a printer, he leveraged the power of diplomacy
and of the media to explore how Americans and Europeans see each other. This summer Institute will
guide the participants to examine what Americans and Europeans need to know about each other to better
communicate person to person, and to face the many challenges of the 21st Century together.
The Institute will also explore how young people interact with media, both as consumers and producers of
information, and how freedom of expression imposes both rights and responsibilities on citizens.
Increasingly young people have come to rely upon mass communication – the use of words, sounds, and
images by a few to inform, educate, entertain and persuade the many – to learn about the world they
inhabit. Mass media not only supplies factual information, it also expresses cultural preferences, promotes
value systems, and fuels commerce through advertising and product placement. The program should
provide the participants with a new perspective on their learning, networking, U.S.-Europe perceptions of
each other, the communities they live in, and the broader media culture.
Who: The participants will be up to 55 students ages 16-18 from Europe and the United States. One or
two students will come from each participating country, except for the United States, which will have up to
ten representatives. U.S. Embassies will screen and select the overseas participants from a pool of students
with whom they have contact. All countries of Europe will be eligible to nominate participants; the State
Department will be responsible for the final selection of participants and the countries they will represent.
U.S. Embassies will arrange and pay for the Europeans’ international travel to and from the United States.
The U.S. grant recipient will be responsible for recruiting and selecting the U.S. participants. All students
must be able to participate fully in English.
The U.S. organization will arrange for highly qualified mentors for the students and adult staff should be
available to support the participants during the course of the Institute.
When: A three-week U.S. institute that will take place in July 2011
Where: The Institute will take place on a U.S. university or college campus or at a similar venue. Ideally,
the venue selected will be on or near a campus with a European Studies center. Students will be housed
together at a dormitory on campus, as staying together will facilitate regional cooperation on the project
and training. Weekend homestays or home hospitality to ensure that participants get a taste of typical
American family life are strongly encouraged.
What: The program will focus primarily on the exploration of global issues through interactive activities,
practical experiences, and other hands-on opportunities, through which the participants will learn more
about democratic practices, volunteer service, conflict resolution, critical thinking, tolerance and respect for
diversity, and youth leadership. All programming will include additional American participants wherever
possible. Cultural and recreational activities will balance the schedule.
A. Training and Joint Project
Before and during the Institute, students will gather information on Americans' views of Europeans and on
Europeans' views of the United States about one or two areas of common or global interest, such as
sustainable development, inter-ethnic cooperation, or world poverty. They will also identify and address
stereotypes they hold of others. The students will gather information via the Internet and various forms of
the media, through interviews with ordinary citizens and experts – including academics and diplomats –
and by other methods, such as designing and conducting a survey. Students will focus on attitudes of their
contemporaries and those closely linked, such as teachers or family members.
Training will focus on developing a critical reading of printed, broadcast, and electronic media. The
students should increase their awareness of the levels of communication in news and popular media, to be
able to judge the content and accuracy for themselves. The objective of this training is to enable them to
gather the information needed to create the materials for the project described below. Training will cover
communication skills, problem solving, and team building.
Finally, students will design simple educational materials, an outreach campaign, a newsletter, or another
type of project (for example, an Internet based project linking selected American and European
schools/students with each other).
B. Community Service
The participants will take part in at least one community service activity during the U.S. program to
demonstrate American volunteerism. The program will provide context for the participants to undertake
the service activity – identifying community needs, the nature of volunteerism, charitable giving, etc. – and
a debriefing so that the service activity is not an isolated event and to help participants see how they could
apply the experience at home.
In addition to this community service, the participants will reach out to American youth by presenting and
testing the educational materials described above to young American audiences, such as students in
summer school or in another organized summer activity. Upon their return home, European participants
will develop, test, and present the materials with young audiences in their home countries.
The U.S. grant recipient will be responsible for the following:
Recruitment, screening, and selection of American participants.
Designing and planning of activities in the United States.
Logistical arrangements: lodging, meals, local travel, and travel between sites.
Follow-on activities in the participants’ home countries designed to reinforce the ideas, values,
and skills imparted during the U.S. program.