Legislative Fellows Program (LFP) offers 4-week long fellowships across the United States in state legislatures and city halls to young Georgian professionals with experience of working or commitment to pursue career in public sector.

To view the announcement in English, please click here. For Georgian, please click here: LFP Announcement 2011-2012 GEO.

Now in its twentieth year, Future Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX) provides an opportunity for Georgian secondary school students in the 9^th, 10^th, and 11^th grades to study at an American high school and to live with an American host family. The FLEX program is fully funded by the U.S. Department of State program and is administered by American Councils for International Education in Georgia.

The program will offer approximately 50 scholarships to secondary school students from Georgia for the 2011-2012 academic year. Scholarship recipients will be provided with round trip ticket from their home to the United States and back as well as a monthly allowance for living expenses.  While in the U.S., Georgian students will have the opportunity to share Georgian culture.  They will learn about the United States firsthand by participating in family life, school study, and extracurricular activities.

Recipients of FLEX scholarships are selected by an independent panel of experienced educators in the United States on the basis of merit demonstrated in the application materials.  Merit is determined by evaluating the written application, recommendations, English language proficiency, and an applicant’s demonstrated preparedness for a yearlong exchange experience.

We invite all students to participate in the competition who: are presently studying in the 9^th, 10^th, and 11th grades; have good academic standing; were born in the period between January 1, 1995 to July 15, 1997; be eligible to receive a U.S. visa; have not lived in the United States for more than three months in the last five years; are citizens of Georgia; have previously studied English or demonstrate English language abilities.

The FLEX program is open to all high school students who meet requirements of the program including students with disabilities.  Over 210 disabled students have already studied in the U.S. on this program. The age/grade requirements for disabled students differ from the requirements for other applicants. Disabled candidates must be born between March 15, 1994 and July 15, 1997 and must be studying in 8^th, 9^th, 10^th, 11^th and 12^th grades.

Representatives of American Councils will visit below regional centers to conduct testing in the fall and winter of 2011.

September 21, 2011, 10 a.m.: Gori, Public School #3, Dimitri Amilakhvari Street #26

September 27, 2011, 10 a.m.: Telavi, Public School #3, Nadikvari Street #23

October 2, 2011, 10 a.m.: Batumi, Public School #8, Griboedovi Street #35

October 4, 2011, 10 a.m.: Borjomi, Public School #1, Tsminda Nino Street #2

October 6, 2011, 10 a.m.: Akhaltsikhe, Public School #1, Mikutishvili Street #2

October 6, 2011, 10 a.m.: Zugdidi, Public School #1, Agmashenebeli Street #1

October 9, 2011, 10 a.m.: Kutaisi, Public School #3, Tsminda Nino Street #2

October 13, 2011, 10 a.m.: Marneuli, Public School #5, Rustaveli Street #52

October 22, 2011, 10 a.m.: Tbilisi, Public School #55, Chavchavadze Avenue # 38

All eligible students are invited to take part in the first of three rounds. They must bring proof of eligibility (their original birth certificate) and one recent photograph (3×4 cm).  Students who pass Round One (a short English test) will be invited to Round Two (a comprehensive English test and an in-class written essay).  Semi-finalists from Round Two will be invited to compete in Round Three, consisting of an interview, an in-class written essay and an application process. Final results of Round Three will be known in May 2012. Finalists of the program will leave for the United States in August of 2012 and will return home in June 2013.