Apply to the Global Citizenship Learning Program!

Our participants are university students who are committed to serving their communities and, through the Global Citizenship Learning Program, can build their capacity, grow their spheres of influence, and eventually model and promote global citizenship through their actions.

As a participant in the Global Citizenship Learning Program, you will:

• Experience different cultures first-hand and learn to work across boundaries of place and identity through hands-on workshops, training, and mentoring projects.
• Work alongside and build relationships with other student change-makers in China, India, Chile, Ghana, Germany, and the United States.
• Expand your knowledge about relevant global topics related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Co-create and develop impact projects with Fellows and partners in your community and around the world to drive change initiatives – small and big – for wider impact.
• Acquire skills in areas such as intercultural communications, teamwork, design thinking, project management, storytelling, podcasting, ethical leadership, and systems thinking.
• Subject to active participation, be invited to participate in a fully sponsored in-person annual convention in China, India, Chile, Ghana, Germany, and/or the United States.
• On successful completion of the program, become part of our unique, lifelong, supported global community of 600+ Senior Melton Fellows.

Applications to the 2024 edition of the Global Citizenship Learning Program are now open. Global application deadline: 15 November, 2023. Apply here!
*Applicants from Temuco, Chile have an extended deadline of December 1, 2023. 

Who can apply to become a Melton Fellow through the Global Citizenship Learning Program?

The Global Citizenship Learning Program is open to university students with a passion for local community impact aged 18- 25 that are currently enrolled at one of our partner universities. Applicants must have sufficient English language skills to express themselves and understand others while discussing the complex nature of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

Students from our partner universities are welcome to apply:

• Bangalore, India – B.M.S Group of Institutions

• Greater Accra, Ghana – Ashesi University

• New Orleans, United States – Dillard University

• Jena, Germany – Friedrich-Schiller-Universität

• Temuco, Chile – Universidad de La Frontera

• Hangzhou, China – Zhejiang University

Please note that we do not discriminate based on color, gender, national origin, religion, economic strata, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. Applications from motivated students from historically under­represented minorities (URM), and low-income backgrounds are highly encouraged.

Also important to note is that to apply, you need to be enrolled at our partner universities listed here. Please contact your local Melton Foundation University partner for more information. We do not accept applications that are incomplete or submitted after the deadline.

What to expect from the program?

A 1.5 year experiential learning journey complete with fifteen interactive learning modules, virtual and in-person activities, and interdisciplinary community projects!

As a participant, you can expect the following during the 1.5 years of the Global Citizenship Learning Program:

Engage in online learning activities through our online learning modules as detailed above (approx. 5 hrs/month). Work in global project teams (depending on the project, average estimate: 5 hrs/month). Participate in community projects (depending on your local community engagement, average estimate: 5 hrs/month). Note: The modules and depicted timeline are subject to minimal change to accommodate in-person components of the program. 

Are you passionate about intercultural experiences? Are you keen on unpacking and advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? Would you like to experience international collaboration to create tangible action?

Are you motivated to make a difference in the world? Apply today!

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. All online applications must be received by November 15, 2023, 12 AM Eastern Standard Time (EST). 

*December 1, 2023, for applicants from UFRO Temuco.

Local 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 interview to be conducted in English. Interviews will be held November 15 – December 15, 2023.

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 (AC) conducted by the Melton Foundation’s Executive Office and Senior Fellows. The AC covers themes of teamwork, problem-solving, and discussions of the current challenges facing humanity. The Assessment Center is conducted in English-only with instructions provided in German & Spanish. We also have a multilingual staff that is ready to support the translation of complex information. Closed captions will also be made available to make the AC accessible for all. 

The Assessment Center is scheduled for February 3, 2024. Selected candidates will be informed about dates and other specifics ahead of time.

Final Interviews

Following the Assessment Center, we will invite the strongest candidates from each region to complete a timed video interview that will be reviewed by our Global Selection Team. The deadline for interviews is February 28, 2024. 

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.

Selected participants will be notified by March 31, 2024, and the program will officially begin on April 1, 2024. 

Alternative Pathways to the Melton Fellowship

The Melton Foundation offers two unique pathways how passionate individuals committed to fostering positive social change can become part of our lifelong, supported global community of Senior Melton Fellows.

The Global Citizenship Learning Program is one of them, and we look forward to the next batch of emerging change-makers from our partner universities joining us in activating our global citizenship muscle and becoming a part of our unique community of Senior Fellows.

The other opportunity to join our lifelong community as a Senior Melton Fellow is the Global Solvers Accelerator, a Melton Foundation Leadership Program that is tailored to community development practitioners from across the globe, who bring a proven track record of social impact and share a desire to become more transformative in their work and projects.

If the Global Citizenship Learning Program is not the right fit or you are ineligible to apply e.g. due to geographic limitations, you might like our alternative flagship program and apply to enact Global Citizenship! 

There are myriad ways to get involved with the Melton Foundation. Stay updated on our news and stories, and get involved with us!