Young Pacific Leaders Professional Fellows Program (YPL PFP)
Build and reinforce professional connections between the Pacific Islands and the United States
Quick Links
Build and reinforce professional connections between the Pacific Islands and the United States
Quick Links
Selected Fellows from the Pacific will complete virtual and in-person programming with Cultural Vistas before embarking on a tailored four-week professional fellowship placement at a host organization in the United States. Following their placement experience, Fellows will gather in person with other Professional Fellows from across the globe for further exchange. Finally, Pacific fellows will return to their home community to implement individual follow-on projects, some of which may receive support via a reciprocal exchange with their American host organizations.
#1 Virtual Programming
Given the wide-span geography of the Pacific, YPL PFP will include supplemental virtual activities for Pacific Fellows before their U.S. fellowship. Cultural Vistas will administer virtual programming for Pacific Fellows to connect with other participants in their cohort and prepare for their exchange program in the U.S. The virtual programming component provides Pacific Fellows with opportunities to network and share knowledge within their cohort.
#2 Professional Fellows Congress
All Pacific Fellow Cohorts (spring 2025) will conclude their time in the United States by participating in the “Professional Fellows Congress” in Washington, DC. This event will bring together Professional Fellows from across the globe to share experiences, build networks, and collaboratively build tools for effective leadership.
#3 Follow-on Project
Throughout the program, each Fellow will develop an Action Plan for a follow-on project to be implemented upon their return home. Fellows will receive peer reviews on their action plans from their cohort and build skills in project design and planning for the action plan during the program. Following the fellowship exchange, participants will be eligible to apply for a small stipend to support the implementation of their follow-on project in their community.
#4 American Reciprocal Exchange
Selected American delegates who served as hosts or mentors during the U.S. fellowship programming phase will have the opportunity to travel to the Pacific to support a Pacific Fellows in implementing their follow-on project. Pacific Fellows selected to host will assist in planning for their American colleagues’ visit.
Applicants must be willing to participate in the program in full, including travel to the United States (U.S.) for a 6-week exchange and a commitment to implement follow-on activities upon returning home. All program travel and accommodations will be covered by Cultural Vistas.
The application for Americans to participate in a reciprocal exchange in support of the 2024-2025 Pacific Fellows’ follow-on project will be open in summer 2025.
Please contact the Cultural Vistas Program Team if you are interested in additional information: pfpoceania@culturalvistas.org.
The Professional Fellowship Program is a robust professional development opportunity, tailored to support the professional growth for every individual participant. Upon selection to the program, and approximately 4-5 months prior to traveling to the U.S., participants will begin working collaboratively with Cultural Vistas on their fellowship placement. Each fellowship will be tailored to each Pacific Fellows to ensure alignment with their career goals. Participation will additionally require a commitment to participate in all program components, including Pre-Program virtual activities, development of a follow-on project Action Plan, participation in the Professional Fellows Congress, and implementation of a follow-on project upon return home.
Pacific Fellows will be encouraged to bring their experience abroad back to their own networks and communities. In doing so, each participant will be required to complete a follow-on project after the conclusion of their fellowship exchange. Each Pacific Fellow will develop an Action Plan during the program that will be peer reviewed within their cohort. This structure will allow for participants to learn more about each other’s work and to solicit feedback from their colleagues. Following the fellowship exchange, Pacific Fellows will have the opportunity to apply for a small stipend to support the implementation of their follow-on project. Examples of potential follow-on projects could include: a women’s empowerment workshop, or developing a business plan to launch an ecommerce platform.
Fellows will be selected through a competitive process. There will be three rounds for selection – eligibility screening, application ranking, and finalist interviews. The selection committee will take into consideration each applicant’s association with the program theme and leadership experience in the Pacific. Applicants are also encourage to demonstrate their commitment to engaging in the Professional Fellows global network.
The fellowship is an unpaid professional development opportunity. Fellows will already have a valid J-1 visa and will receive a stipend from Cultural Vistas to cover their living expenses during the fellowship. Host organizations are expected to supply the fellows with the technical support and equipment needed to actively engage with colleagues and successfully complete their workplan.
Cultural Vistas will work directly with each Pacific Fellow cohort to identify fellowship placements. Each fellowship will be tailored to each Pacific Fellows to ensure alignment with their career goals. Host organizations will not be able to meet/interview Pacific Fellows directly however, Cultural Vistas will arrange these placements on behalf of the participant. As a result, thorough communication of the available roles and expectations for the fellowships will be necessary to ensure a positive placement experience.
Host organizations can be located anywhere in the United States. Eligible organizations can have a physical, virtual, or hybrid work environment, however it is expected that PFP fellows will have frequent and substantial engagement with colleagues at the host organization. Hosts will also be expected to help the fellow become acquainted and involved in local activities/events in the fellowship location.
The 2024-2025 YPL PFP program cohort will participate in U.S. based fellowships between May 15 – June 27, 2025.
The application for American Fellows will be provided to host organizations following each Cohort round. Please monitor the YPL Professional Fellows Program website or contact PFPOceania@culturalvistas.org if you have any questions about the application requirements or timeline and we can assist.
Host organizations will be responsible for:
Should the program pivot to a virtual format, host organizations will be responsible for communicating with the fellow to ensure they are engaged in the program, whether the work is in a virtual or in-person format.
Host organizations are allowed to host for a single cohort or multiple cohorts, as long as there are candidates in each cohort that match the focus and industry of the organization. The fellowships are meant to be individually tailored professional experiences and the Pacific Fellows will have various backgrounds and professional interests that may not be well suited for each organization. If your organization is interested in hosting multiple fellows, please contact our team and we can confirm what opportunities may be available for consecutive fellowships.
Pacific Fellows have diverse backgrounds with career fields ranging from education to information communication technology to conservation policy. Fellows will be paired with host organizations based on their intended follow-on projects and professional goals. Please review the section regarding Eligibility for Pacific Fellows to learn more about the minimum criteria all applicants must meet in order to be selected as a participant in the program.