The U.S. Embassy Paramaribo is pleased to announce that applications for the 2020 cohort of the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) Program opens August 14. Please see the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative website for details and application information. The deadline to apply is September 18.
Since its launch in 2015, the U.S. State Department’s YLAI Professional Fellowship has brought more than 750 business and social entrepreneurs from 36 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to the United States to collaborate with their American counterparts. Through this exchange program, YLAI Fellows expand their entrepreneurial ventures by building on their leadership skills, helping advance the social and economic development in their home communities.
Suriname has participated since the launch of the program. So far, 17 Surinamese entrepreneurs from a variety of fields have been chosen to participate.
The program is open to individuals between the ages of 25 and 35 who have a demonstrated track record of successfully growing their own business or social venture for at least two years. Full eligibility criteria and application details can be found online at https://ylai.state.gov/fellowship/
The YLAI Professional Fellowship is funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. In addition to the in-person exchange trips, the program features a 40,000-member online YLAI Network whose members take part in activities organized by U.S. Embassies and Consulates and YLAI alumni to promote entrepreneurship throughout the hemisphere.
