After a 10 day training session in Washington DC, the first year is spent overseas with the host organization in Africa, Latin America, or Asia. For more facts on the state of internationalization in U.S. education, see the resource listed on p. 4. Fellows are placed with organizations such as the Nature Conservancy, the World Wildlife Fund, CARE, World Conservation Union, local NGOs, and government ministries. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, or have permanent resident status, have a graduate degree in a relevant field, and demonstrated expertise in both environment and population issues. Once accepted into the pool of qualified Fellows, most individuals are placed in the two year positions within 3-18 months.
Fellows receive a stipend, all travel costs, health insurance, and housing assistance.
They also announce a new Summer Graduate Internship Program for potential fellows who are in their first year of graduate work in related fields. They plan to continue the Summer Internship Program in future years with a similar deadline. Non IVPA groups are also included, and there is no fee to have your group added. Some of the well known organizations listed on their searchable website are Operation Crossroads Africa, WorldTeach, Earthwatch, Visions in Africa, Global Volunteers, and the Council on International Educational Exchange. Potential volunteers can search the site by world region, country, type of work, and project duration.