Leland International Hunger Fellowship
Leland International Hunger Fellowship: The Mickey Leland International Hunger Fellows Program is a unique two-year international fellowship administered by the Congressional Hunger Center (CHC).
Its mission is to develop leaders committed to finding lasting solutions to hunger and poverty worldwide through both direct programming and good policies.
Leland Fellows are given the opportunity to develop new skills while actively working to alleviate hunger and poverty.
The Leland International Fellowship Program
During each two-year fellowship cycle, 12-15 Leland Fellows are placed with international development organizations that include international and local NGOs, U.S. government agencies and multilateral organizations.
Fellows work on a variety of food security issues, such as agricultural development, nutrition, natural resource management, agribusiness development and women’s empowerment.
The program begins with a one-year field placement in a developing country in Asia, Africa, or Latin America.
Field activities often include research, program design and implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of projects.
Fellows spend the second year doing policy work, usually at the headquarters of the organization they served in the field year.
In this way, fellows apply what they learned in the field to help inform the development of sound organizational and governmental food security policies.
The field and policy assignments are developed by the host organization and are designed to be complementary.
Each fellowship placement aims to be a mutually beneficial one in which the fellow gains experience and expertise while the host organization benefits from the fellow’s skills and hard work.
International Fellowship Benefits
- Monthly stipend
- Comprehensive health insurance
- Professional development funds
- Housing and relocation allowances
- Travel to and from placement locations
- Training and advising
- Connection to a dynamic fellowship community and alumni network
International Fellowship Requirements
- Strong commitment to fighting hunger
- Graduate degree or equivalent experience in a relevant discipline
- One year of combined work or volunteer experience in a developing country
- Demonstrated leadership qualities and abilities
- Ability to communicate and work across cultural contexts
- Critical thinking skills and a high degree of self-motivation
- Ability to work independently as well as on a team
- Flexibility
Leland Fellows must be authorized to work in the United States for the full duration of the program.
The procurement or extension of this authorization is the responsibility of the applicant.
International Fellowship – Training and Professional Development
In addition to their work experiences, fellows take part in CHC-sponsored annual training sessions and are assigned a Leland Program adviser, who serves as an ongoing resource.
Each fellow also has access to professional development funds that can be used to attend conferences, workshops and trainings that further the fellow’s leadership development.
International Fellowship Application
Applicants to the Leland Program apply to a specific placement rather than to the fellowship itself.
These placements are selected through a competitive application process in which prospective host organizations submit a detailed scope of work to CHC for consideration.
In addition to CHC’s general requirements, applicants must possess the skills specified by the host organization for each specific placement.
These can include foreign language fluency, a particular graduate degree or expertise, and specific technical skills and/or experience.