2027 Community Engagement Exchange Program

About the opportunity

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and implemented by IREX, the Community Engagement Exchange (CEE) Program is a dynamic leadership development opportunity for emerging community leaders committed to advancing free expression, open inquiry, constructive dialogue, and civic participation. Participants take part in a transformative six-week exchange experience in the United States, which features a four-week professional placement with a U.S. host organization. Through applied learning and cross-cultural exchange, participants gain practical skills, build professional networks, and explore community-based problem-solving. Upon returning home, participants design and implement an Actions, Words project to address a need in their local community.

Funding and benefits

• J-1 visa support
• Round-trip travel from participants’ home city to the United States
• Allowance to cover housing, meals, and other living expenses while in the United States
• Accident and sickness health benefits

Who can apply?

• You will be between the ages of 22 and 27 on the application closing date.
• You are a citizen of one of the eligible countries in Europe (Czechia, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, United Kingdom, or Ukraine).
• You have a minimum of two years of professional, volunteer, academic, or community-based experience working on relevant First Amendment issues, including free speech, open inquiry, constructive public discourse, public participation, respectful disagreement, or related community-level problem-solving.
• You are living and working in your home country at the time of application (with special consideration for individuals completing school courses or non-U.S.-government programming outside the home country who will have returned home at least six months before the program begins).
• You demonstrate a clear commitment to developing a locally grounded First Amendment or free-speech initiative in your home country.
• You are able to work effectively in cross-cultural settings and contribute meaningfully to a U.S. host organization and community.
• You are proficient in spoken and written English at the time of application.
• You are available to begin the CEE Program in the United States in 2027 and participate in the full six-week exchange, including a four-week individualized professional placement.
• You are committed to returning to your home country, applying your experience, and implementing a community-based project after the U.S.-based exchange.

Required documents

• Online application form
• English-language proficiency assessment (required for semifinalists who do not possess a valid qualifying TOEFL score)

When to apply

• Applications opened prior to October 23, 2026.
• Application deadline: November 18, 2026 at 11:59 pm ET.

How to apply

• Review the program FAQ document for detailed guidance.
• Submit your online application through the official CEE application portal before the deadline.

Additional information

• U.S. citizens and permanent residents are not eligible.
• Individuals participating in academic, training, or research programs in the United States or other countries at the time of application are not eligible.
• Individuals who have participated in a U.S. government-funded exchange visitor program and have not fulfilled their two-year home residency requirement by the time of application are ineligible.
• Individuals who have applied for U.S. permanent residency in the past three years are ineligible.