NextGen Service Fellowship provides students hands-on international experience

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 11, 2026) — Applications are now open for the Institute for International Education’s NextGen Service Fellowship program. 

The program, supported by the Rockefeller Foundation, will provide funding for students to gain hands-on experience in international development while addressing the needs of vulnerable communities overseas. This fellowship aims to inspire and equip the next generation of American public service leaders through immersive, hands-on experience working in and with communities around the world, including Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean.  

The program is for students who are U.S. citizens who have an interest in pursuing a career in a humanitarian or development field. It is restricted to those aged 21 or over who have demonstrated academic merit, leadership, responsibility, flexibility and adaptability.  

Successful applicants will be named NextGen Service Fellows and will participate in an international summer 2026 internship, service-learning or volunteer project for a four-week period between mid-July and mid-August. Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) located in each destination will host the fellows. The hosting organizations may be local or global. Applicants may either select a pre-existing program they’d like to participate in or choose to work with IIE to be placed at an NGO in Ethiopia, Mexico or Southeast Asia. 

“This is a most welcome initiative from the Rockefeller Foundation” said Sue Roberts, Ph.D.,  UK’s associate vice president for internationalization. “Last year, several UK students were awarded funding and completed rewarding international projects. I am proud that UK students will once again have the chance to compete for these fellowships, and to engage in hands-on international service learning. It can be difficult for students with humanitarian or development interests to identify and fund these kinds of opportunities, so this program is tremendously valuable for opening doors for UK students.”

Potential applicants can contact the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards at competitiveawards@uky.edu for guidance on the application process.

Application materials are due May 18. For more information, visit www.iie.org/programs/nextgen-service-fellowship.