REI International Fellows Program

The REI International Fellows Program was created to encourage personal professional development in the countries where REI serves. The program allows an international professional to come to the US to study alongside American professionals practicing in their field. Along with the study program, REI Fellows are given a chance to participate in American cultural activities, giving them a chance to learn about the US, to develop relationships with REI staff and volunteers, and to develop professionally.

Specifically, REI’s International Fellows Program has four goals:

1. To give the Fellow a broader picture of his / her professional field than he / she could see in his / her country, showing the Fellow what could be possible in his / her country;
2. To encourage the Fellow to think about how he / she could work to develop his / her field in his / her country toward what he / she now sees as possible through interaction with American professionals and adopting appropriate technologies;
3. To build relational and cultural bridges between the Fellow and REI staff and volunteers; and
4. To ascertain from the Fellow how REI can be involved in meeting needs in his / her field in his / her country.

Program Details

After REI has worked in an institution for some time, REI will invite a Fellow to consider studying in the U.S. through REI to develop in his / her professional field. An REI staff member or volunteer will sponsor the Fellow to come to the US Most sponsorships last between 1-3 months, depending on the Fellow’s field of study, and include:

1. Sponsoring a J-1 visa for the Fellow through the US government;
2. Providing money for the cost of the Fellow’s entire Fellowship, which includes all cost related to travel, medical insurance, visa, and transportation within the US (usually $3,000 – $4,000);
3. Arranging host accommodations where the Fellow will stay during his / her time in the US, including providing meals and transportation to and from the accommodations to the planned program events;
4. Coordinating an informal, observational program for the Fellow in their professional field; and
5. Coordinating a schedule of cultural events that the fellow can attend to learn about American culture.

REI has offered fellowships in the following professional fields in the past: Medicine (this has been our largest fellowship program), Business, English Language (specifically to train teachers to teach English language and fluency in their countries), and Jurisprudence.

The Characteristics of REI International Fellows

Participants in REI’s International Fellows Program seem to share the following characteristics:

1. They are fluent in English (both conversationally and in their professional field). An international Fellow must be able to work alongside an American professional and easily understand professional terminology.
2. They have the ability to adapt to new cultural settings and they have the desire to learn about American culture.
3. They are teachable; in other words, they are pro-active in seeking out opportunities to grow in their professional field. They are willing and eager to learn from REI staff and volunteers.
4. They are already in a professional relationship with REI staff and volunteers.
5. They work in a professional field in which REI already works in his / her country or they work in a professional field in which REI is planning to work in the future.
6. They have a good prospect for long-term service to their country. We are looking to develop people who have many years of professional leadership and influence still ahead of them.
7. After returning to their home country, they intend to use the knowledge and skills acquired during their Fellowship to improve and train their colleagues.

The Characteristics of Fellowship Sponsors and Host Families

Fellowship sponsors and host families have the following characteristics in common:

1. Most sponsors also host the Fellow in their own home, and when they don’t, sponsors will seek out another appropriate living situation for the Fellow.
2. Sponsors / hosts are most often team leaders or participants in past REI trips. REI staff members know and feel comfortable with sponsors.
3. Sponsors / hosts live in the city where the study program has been arranged.
4. Sponsors / hosts have appropriate living situations to accommodate the Fellow.
5. Sponsors / hosts sacrificially provide meals, free lodging, and transportation to all program events during the Fellow’s time in the US.
6. Sponsors / hosts are relational, open to learning about other cultures, and ready to listen and “adopt” the Fellow into their family.

Get Involved

If you are interested in sponsoring a Fellowship for an international professional you have worked with overseas during an REI program or in hosting a Fellow in your home, please contact us.