Become a Melton Fellow
Global Citizenship Learning
Program
Our participants are university students dedicated to serving their communities. Through the Global Citizenship Learning Program, they enhance their capacity, expand their influence, and exemplify global citizenship through their actions.
What is Global Citizenship Learning Program?
The Global Citizenship Learning Program (GCLP) is the signature fellowship program of the Melton Foundation with a history spanning over three decades. It provides a curated learning and fellowship experience which help university students develop the skills, knowledge, and networks they need to become reflective leaders, actors with foresight and active global citizens who impact local community realities.
Over the course of 10 months, students from the Melton Foundation partner universities learn in a shared space through virtual learning sessions, intercultural dialogue, collaborative projects, and an international in person gathering. The program encourages participants to understand different perspectives, work across cultures, and respond to real challenges in their communities and beyond within a world where global citizenship faces unprecedented challenges. By the end of the program, Fellows leave with experience on global citizenship in action, lasting connections across border, and the confidence to contribute to a more connected, just, and sustainable world.
The Learning Journey at a Glance
Every stage of GCLP builds on the last to form a value adding learning journey. Based on the signature Global Citizenship Development Framework, Participants begin by exploring global citizenship at the intersection of other concepts and systems such as identity, transformative leadership, intercultural collaboration before developing leadership skills and applying their learning through community focused projects. Along the way, they connect with like minded young leaders from around the world, gain practical exposure to active citizenship and become part of a global community committed to creating meaningful change.
The learning journey in the GCLP begins from the moment a participant is accepted into the program as it is a shared commitment to learning, showing up, and contributing to a global community. Fellows are expected to engage fully in both the online and in-person sessions, complete preparatory readings, submit pre-set activities, and participate with intention, curiosity, openness, and respect throughout the program. An important part of the experience is learning how to collaborate with people from different cultures, backgrounds, and perspectives.
The quality of the GCLP experience is shaped by how willing participants are to learn from one another while actively contributing to the discussions and group activities. Through dialogue, teamwork, and collaboration with peers and facilitators, fellows develop empathy, active listening, mutual respect, and shared responsibility which are building blocks of global citizenship. By the end of the journey, fellows leave not only with new knowledge and skills, but with a deeper understanding of themselves, others, and their role in an interconnected world.
Why Global Citizenship Learning Program?
The Global Citizenship Learning Program is more than just another fellowship experience. It is an opportunity to broaden perspective, build meaningful relationships across cultures, and develop the confidence to proactively engage with the most pressing challenges of modern times. Through a specialized interactive learning, cross-cultural dialogue, and collaboration with peers from universities around the world, participants gain the knowledge, skills, and mindset needed to lead with empathy, curiosity, and purpose. Whether you are passionate about social impact, eager to learn from diverse perspectives, or are looking to become part of a global community committed to positive change, GCLP provides the space to grow both personally and professionally as a young leader.
Applications for the Global Citizenship Learning Program 2027 Are Now Open!!
Who can Apply to Become a Melton Fellow through
the Global Citizenship Learning Program?
The Global Citizenship Learning Program is open to university students committed to local community impact aged 18 to 25 years who are currently enrolled at one of our main partner universities. Applicants must have a working understanding of the English language to express themselves and engage with others during the program.
As an engaging, collaborative, peer-learning program that runs online from March to December 2027, participants are expected to contribute regularly, connect in bi-weekly meetings, and complete asynchronous assignments responsibly. Selected Participants are expected to commit 03–04 hours per week on average to the learning program. Participants who actively engage with the program will join a fully sponsored week-long in-person gathering
*Preference will be given to university students who expect to remain on campus for a minimum period of two years from the start date, as success in the program relies on active participation in local team activities to put global citizenship into practice. Are you the right candidate? Find out below!
For more information, important links, and insightful application tips, refer to the Frequently Asked Questions!
What to Expect from the Program?
While the eight learning modules are at the core of the Global Citizenship Learning Program, the 10 month journey begins with an onboarding to ease participants into the Program, orient themselves with the tools and methodologies used, and also get to know one another. Upon successful completion of the GCLP, the learning journey concludes with a different kind of orientation – this time into the life-long Melton Fellowship,
Application and Selection Process
Application Form
The first and most important step is to submit your application by the application deadline using the designated online application form.
Guidelines & AI Usage Policy
Note: We have put together an Application Guide to give interested candidates the opportunity to prepare their applications offline. Click here to download this application form as a PDF file to develop your responses in your own time and then submit them in the online form.
All questions must be answered in English and the word limits indicated with each question must not be exceeded. We only accept applications that are complete or submitted by the deadline.
While AI tools such as ChatGPT can be useful for polishing up language in a final draft for submission, we strongly advise against using them to generate or draft your application wholly. We value your authenticity and purely AI-generated applications will most likely be eliminated as part of the selection process.
*Due to the volume of incoming applications, we will contact only those candidates, who have qualified for the next round. (Please check your spam folders regularly – it has happened that promising candidates could not participate further because they did not see the email on time. And watch out for updates from Melton Foundation campus teams along the way, e.g. via social media.)
If you do not hear from us by January 15th, 2026, please assume that you have not advanced to the next stage of the selection process.
Local Assessment and Interviews
Our university partners will screen the applications and invite the strongest candidates to a local interview. Please prepare for the majority if not all of this local assessment and interview to be conducted in English.
Global Assessment Center
Following the above-indicated deadline(s), the local teams will submit their top ten candidates to participate in a Global Virtual Assessment Center conducted by the Melton Foundation’s Executive Office and Senior Fellows. The assessment center covers themes of teamwork, problem-solving, and discussions of the current challenges facing humanity. The assessment center is conducted in English. We also have a multilingual staff that is ready to support the translation of complex information if needed. Closed captions will also be made available to make the assessment center accessible for all.
Final Selection
Following the Assessment Center, a global selection team will select the best-suited finalists from across the globe to join the Global Citizenship Learning Program.
Where Collaboration Meets Global Citizenship
The Global Citizens’ Connect is the signature in-person component of the Global Citizenship Learning Program – a fully funded, week-long experience for actively engaged Participants. It brings together young changemakers to collaborate across cultures, learn through curated in- workshops, and co-create solutions to global challenges. It’s where global citizenship is lived, celebrated and practiced.
Note: For further information or queries, please contact the Melton Foundation team at the partner university. If questions remain, you can email us at info@melton.foundation, which will connect you with the program staff.
Looking Beyond Boundaries: Two Years of Learning Beyond the Law
As the first law student from India in GCLP, I expanded beyond legal boundaries into work spanning AI literacy, digital equity, accessibility, and youth leadership. Through leadership roles as India Hub Lead Fellow and Melton Fellows’ Representative on the Foundation’s Board, I learned that leadership means listening and representing diverse perspectives — and that the same global challenge looks different depending on where you stand. GCLP didn’t change what I study, but it changed the way I see what I can do with it.
Weaving Change: From a GCLP Project to The ReWeave Collective
GCLP’s impact has extended far beyond the program itself — it changed how I think about problems, my role in creating change, and the people and ideas I choose to work with. Collaborating with fellow Melton Fellow Trueman Mabumbo on a sign-language education project showed me that social problems can be solved through creativity, technology, and engineering, not just advocacy. That mindset carried into my work with Ashesi’s iGEM team on coastal erosion, and eventually into founding The ReWeave Collective, which repurposes discarded clothing while creating skill-building opportunities for young women. Melton gave me the confidence to see myself as someone who could help solve complex problems, and taught me that meaningful change comes from listening, collaborating, and carrying an idea beyond its original project.
Not Sure Where to Start
Applying to GCLP is straightforward, but we want you to feel prepared before you start. Download the full Application Guide for step-by-step instructions, eligibility details, and deadlines.
B.M.S Group of Institutions
B.M.S Group of Institutions is an esteemed educational institution located in Bangalore, India. Known for its commitment to quality education, it offers a diverse range of programs in fields like engineering, management, technical education, research, and more, making it a prominent choice for students seeking academic excellence in South India.
Dillard University
Dillard University, located in New Orleans, Louisiana, is a historically Black liberal arts institution known for its commitment to academic excellence and social justice. With a rich history dating back to 1930, Dillard offers a diverse and vibrant campus community that fosters intellectual growth and community engagement.
Universidad de La Frontera
Ashesi University
Ashesi University is a prestigious institution located in Greater Accra, Ghana, known for its commitment to providing a high-quality education. It offers a diverse range of programs with a focus on leadership, ethics, and innovation. Ashesi is renowned for producing graduates who contribute to positive social change and economic development in Africa.
Friedrich-Schiller-University
Friedrich-Schiller-University, located in Jena, Germany, is a renowned institution known for its excellence in research and education. With a rich history dating back to 1558, it offers a wide range of academic programs and is particularly celebrated for its contributions to the fields of philosophy, medicine, and natural sciences.
News from the Global Citizenship Learning Program
Bridging the Digital Divide: Empowering Women Through Technology and Inclusive Entrepreneurship
Participants in the project are actively involved in co-creating the platform, contributing to content design, selecting relevant resources, and testing the usability of digital tools. Through this process, they gain hands-on experience with AI integration, digital literacy, and platform development, while also learning to identify and address the real needs of women in their communities.
The Most Sought-After Skills for Global Citizenship in Today’s World
Global citizenship today demands more than an acknowledgment of difference. It requires the ability to reimagine Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) as a living practice of learning, unlearning, and reclaiming space. At its core, this skill calls for self-location: the act of situating oneself in relation to broader cultural and historical landscapes. When individuals pause to reflect on where they come from, the sensory worlds of their neighborhoods, the foods that shape their memories, the sayings passed down in their families, the friendships that molded them, they begin to see identity not as a single narrative but as a collection of interconnected fragments.
From Fellowship to Leadership: A Life of Public Service and Global Connection
As a young student, Carlos stepped into spaces that brought together people from different corners of the world, where conversations moved beyond textbooks, touching on global justice, sustainability, and shared leadership. These experiences pushed him outside his academic comfort zone and offered a new lens through which to view his studies and his future. They didn’t pull him away from his path; they deepened it.