For almost two decades, the fully-funded Atlas Corps Fellowship has facilitated professional exchanges between the world’s emerging leaders and U.S.-based social impact organizations. Our mission is to address critical social issues by developing leaders, strengthening organizations, and promoting innovation through an overseas fellowship of skilled social change professionals.
Atlas Service Corps, Inc. integrated with Cultural Vistas in September 2024. Read more about the integration on our blog.
Applications for the Atlas Corps Fellowship are closed indefinitely. We invite you to visit our other programs and apply to those you may be eligible for.
+700
Fellows
85
Countries
+400
Host Organizations Supported
95%
Fellows returned home to address key social issues
Program Details
The Atlas Corps Fellowship is a transformative 6-to-18-month professional development program for global social change leaders. Atlas Corps Fellows are matched with U.S.-based Host Organizations to undergo intensive on-the-job training, complemented by professional development sessions provided by Cultural Vistas, and networking opportunities with peers from around the world.
The Atlas Corps Fellowship’s objective is aligned with the U.S. State Department Education and Cultural Exchange Bureau’s Mission: To promote mutual understanding through people-to people exchanges and to further U.S. foreign policy objectives by engaging international exchange visitors and American communities in a diversity of positive, safe, and enriching educational, cultural and professional exchange programs.
Over the years, the Atlas Corps Fellowship has facilitated different versions of the program, including but not limited to:
U.S. Fellowship: 6–18-month Fellowship exclusively in the U.S.
Blended Fellowship: combining 1-3 months of remote service and 9-18 U.S.-based service
Remote Fellowship: 12-18 months fully remote service with U.S.-based organizations serving from the Fellow’s home country
The Atlas Corps Fellowship team is committed and prepared to help you succeed in your Fellowship. Below are described the ways we commit to support our Atlas Corps Fellows during the program and the offering we have for them.
Matching and placement at a Host Organization – U.S. based nonprofit, government, private, academic, or public sector organization for social impact training.
A 6–18-month full-time engagement at a Host Organization, for a minimum of 32 hours per week and not to exceed an average of 40 hours per week.
Current active models include U.S.-based Fellowship and Blended Fellowship. Availability and Fellowship offers are based on Host Organization needs.
A virtual Pre-Fellowship Orientation to prepare for successful on-the-job training at their Host Organization, and virtual U.S. Pre-Arrival Orientation to prepare for adjusting to the realities of living and engaging professionally in the United States.
A virtual Mid-Term and End-of-Fellowship orientation aimed at helping Atlas Corps Fellows make the most out of their international exchange experience and transitioning back to their countries and communities.
Support with visa documentation and travel and logistics coordination for arrival to the U.S.
Ongoing and continuous personalized support and check ins through the length of the program.
Access to personal and professional development and networking opportunities focused on enhancing your leadership and social impact skills.
Live sessions with alumni on key topics of 21st century leadership such as ethical leadership, resilience, and storytelling for social change.
Participation in community-building activities to strengthen networks within the Cultural Vistas and Atlas Corps alumni communities.
Access to professional coaching sessions with accredited coaches to support personal and leadership development.
Candidates for the Atlas Corps Fellowship can be from any country or region in the world (except the United States) and must have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent, be highly proficient in English (oral, writing, reading), be no older than 35, and have at least 2 years of professional experience in one of five main skill areas:
Communications and Marketing
Monitoring and Evaluation
Data Analysis
Operations & Human Resources
Partnership-Building and Business Development
Program and Project Management
Competitive applicants will have 2-10 years of experience, and most tend to be in the nonprofit/NGO sector. However, the Atlas Corps Fellowship also includes individuals in business, technology, media, government, and other sectors. Those who are not in the nonprofit/NGO sector should provide examples of how they have integrated their desire for social change into their career.
Candidates must be able to commit for the full program length and apply their experience in their home country or region after the program. Applicants should demonstrate a passion for social change, a commitment to professional and leadership development, and an interest in building international connections.
Historically, the Atlas Corps Fellowship has been a fully funded program for the Fellows, aligned with our commitment to make the program accessible for any social leaders around the globe who meets the eligibility criteria.
The program covers:
Travel from home city to host city in the U.S.
Visa fees costs and transportation for appointments
Monthly mobile phone bill and health insurance during the say in the U.S.
Monthly stipend to cover basic living expenses such as shared housing, meals and local transportation.
The monthly stipend is adjusted to the specific city of placement to reflect the local cost of living.
Eligibility to access a one-time post fellowship stipend provided that the Fellow completed all graduation requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this is the same program previously implemented by Atlas Corps, but now with enhancements as it is hosted by Cultural Vistas. The program continues to maintain its core mission while benefiting from the expertise and resources of Cultural Vistas.
Applications for the Atlas Corps Fellowship are closed indefinitely.
Host Organizations & Partners
Host Organizations
Applications for the Atlas Corps Fellowship are closed indefinitely.
Meet some of our dedicated Host Organizations that have hosted Atlas Corps Fellows:
American Red Cross
Glasswing International
Open Gov Hub
Win (Women In Need)
The Climate Initiative
Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack
Collaborating for Resilience (CoRe)
Save the Children
Elton John AIDS Foundation
Girl Up
CARE
Global Fund for Children
Panorama
Partnerships
Banyan Impact Fellowship for Service in the U.S. – American India Foundation Joint Fellowship:
In partnership with the American India Foundation, the Atlas Corps Fellowship co-hostsAIF’s Banyan Impact Fellowship (BIF)U.S. Service Track, where Fellows from India serve full-time with host organizations in the U.S. for 12 months. Fellows develop leadership skills, learn more about effective practices, and develop competencies in areas essential for the next generation of global changemakers. Additionally, Fellows benefit from dual professional development and networking opportunities provided by AIF and the Atlas Corps Fellowship.
“The Banyan Impact Fellowship (BIF) is an immersive bi-national volunteer service program with immense strategic importance in the US-India corridor. Through its emphasis on a service-leadership model, BIF places young professionals from the US and India with communities and organizations across the two countries for mutual learning, capacity building, and leadership development–all towards the greater aim of driving social change.”
Bassem Sabry Fellowship – TIMEP Joint Fellowship:
Since 2014, Atlas Corps has partnered with the Tahir Insitute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP) on the Bassem Sabry Democracy Fellowship. This Fellowship is awarded to a young MENA professional who is committed to the principles of democratic and inclusive change. The selected Fellow joins the Atlas Corps Fellowship program, benefits and networks, and spends six months at TIMEP’s offices in Washington, D.C., while producing original analysis; contributing to programming that furthers transparent, accountable, and just societies; and engaging with the policymaking community.
Would you like to support the next cohort of emerging leaders?
“As I reflect on my time in Evanston, Illinois, serving as a Fellow with the Atlas Corps program at Northwestern University’s Study Abroad Office, I feel an overwhelming sense of growth and gratitude. This year gave me time to reflect on my journey so far. From teaching science to 200 students in India using hands-on experiments, to managing experiential learning programs in over fifteen countries, to now actively pursuing leadership roles in U.S.-based education abroad. Above all, I have learned that being a global leader doesn’t mean having all the answers. It means listening deeply, leading with empathy, and staying committed to growth, even in moments of uncertainty.”
“Moving from India to Washington, D.C. was a leap into the unknown, but what made my transition truly special was the warmth and kindness of my host family, Jasmine and her daughter Arianne. Living with Jasmine turned a foreign city into a welcoming home, and our cultural exchange blossomed into a friendship that crossed borders and backgrounds. From shared meals to heartfelt conversations, this experience has shown me the true power of human connection.”
“Participating in the Atlas Corps Fellowship and serving as a Supply Chain Fellow at CARE International has been a transformative experience. The global scope of CARE’s operations also exposed me to the complexities of managing supply chains across regions with vastly different logistical realities. Working across teams from Latin America to Africa, and engaging in projects that demanded coordination across continents, taught me how critical cultural competence, risk mitigation, and real-time communication are to effective global supply chain management.”
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