The Vermont Governor's Institute on Current Issues and Youth Activism examines current issues, policies and political questions which impact on young people.
2010 Travel Awards
The list of winners for 2010 has now been published here. If you are interested in following the adventures of this years winners keep an eye on this section as there will be regular updates and blogs throughout the summer from all corners of the globe. Details of the 2011 awards will be published later this year.
If you are a young person or student who has an active interest in world affairs and think that you would benefit from a challenging adventure in another culture then one of these awards could be for you. This year we are offering 18 fully funded awards where EIL covers all the programme costs and 12 partially funded awards where most of the programme costs are funded by EIL.
What are we looking for?
In assessing the applications we receive, volunteer or other community involvement as well as leadership potential will take priority over academic capacity. Awards are open to a range of different age categories starting from 16 years old and successful applicants need to be available to travel during the summer months.
Individual awards: Fully funded
(Age 16-18): 6 weeks in Japan or 4 weeks in Ecuador
(Age 18+): 6 weeks in Mexico or 10 weeks in Argentina
Group Awards
(Age 16-18): 12 nights in Vermont USA (Full Funding for 5 participants)
(Age 17-22): 9 days in Hong Kong (Partial Funding for 8 participants)
(Age 18-25): 3 weeks in Eurocamp Germany (All costs in Germany covered plus €120 towards flights for 2 participants)
Other Awards
DEIS or Youthreach students: 4 fully funded places to join Hong Kong group
ACCESS students: 3 fully funded places for 2 months on a Volunteer Abroad programme of choice
Jack Wallace Scholarship: an opportunity to be short listed for the Jack Wallace Scholarship, a three month partially funded volunteering project in Argentina.
Secondary School in Germany Scholarship: live with a host family and go to school in Germany from a semester to a full academic year.
Global Awareness
8 weeks in South Africa or Nigeria: 4 partially funded places available
Featured Award
Travel Award: Global Awareness Programme
The EIL Global Awareness Programme seeks to raise awareness of the HIV/AIDS problem in Africa here in Ireland. Four partial travel awards are available to Irish participants who will spend 8 weeks fact finding as volunteers. On their return to Ireland the volunteers will commit to tell the stories of the people they worked with and will highlight their experience of the HIV/AIDS problem in Africa. This could take the form of writing newspaper articles, giving talks, lobbying politicians or hosting workshops – the more creative the idea the better!
Travel Award: Ireland-Hong Kong youth exchange
EIL-Intercultural Learning in association with The Hong Kong Commission
on Youth offer a Hong Kong Ireland Exchange Programme in August-September 2010.
The exchange provides an opportunity for young people in Hong Kong and
Ireland to exchange ideas and experiences. During the programme in Hong
Kong there will be visits to universities and schools, meetings and
activities with local young people, official visits to Government
Departments and Agencies, community service activities and sightseeing.
Application Deadline: Friday April 30th, 5pm.
Travel Award: Secondary School in Germany
In partnership with EIL Germany, EIL Intercultural Learning is offering one student between the ages of 15 and 18 the opportunity to go on a scholarship to Germany during the Academic Year 2010-2011. This will entail living with a carefully selected German host family and attending a local German high school for 5 or 10 months. The winner will act as an ambassador for Ireland and share their Irish culture with classmates and their new friends and family while learning about German society and culture.
Travel Award: Ecuador
Four weeks volunteering for one person in Ecuador - the smallest country in the Andean highlands famous for its array of vibrant indigenous cultures, colonial architecture, volcanic landscapes, dense rainforest and friendly people.
Travel Award: Vermont, USA
Tuesday 29th June to Saturday 10th July
This Travel Award allows five recipients to debate with and get to know the young people from this maligned New England State with a population of just 600,000 people. The Vermont Governor's Institute on Current Issues and Youth Activism examines current issues, policies and political questions, which impact on young people.
Travel Award: Argentina
Chilecito is a place of social contrasts and contradictions. Up to 20% of the population live in poverty and the poorer children often survive on one meal per day. This travel award offers one person the opportunity to help a project which caters for 40 children aged between 3 and 9 years of age. The children spend about 3 hours each afternoon, from Monday to Friday, at the project where they are served lunch and receive help with their homework. They also learn team sports and a variety of other hobbies and educational activities. As this is a new project a dynamic volunteer with lots of initiative and new ideas is required.
Travel Award: DEIS / Youthreach
Four fully funded bursaries are available to young people attending a DEIS School or a Youthreach Project to participate in The Hong Kong/Ireland Youth Exchange in 2010. The Hong Kong Ireland Youth Exchange will take place in August 2010 and candidates should be available to spend 9 days in Hong Kong and 4 days with the group from Hong Kong during their visit to Ireland.
Travel Award: Japan
Visit the land of the Rising Sun... This exciting six week programme, jointly funded by the Japan - Ireland Friendship Link is based in the beautiful region of Suwa which is located in the Japanese Alps about two hours to the south of Tokyo.
Travel Award: Jack Wallace Scholarship - volunteering in Argentina
The Jack Wallace Scholarship is in memorial of the former Secretary General of the international federation of which we're a member. Organised by EIL Argentina, each EIL office is able to put forward one nominee to the short list. The winner of the scholarship then goes on to spend three months volunteering in public schools and community projects in Chicoana, Salta in the North West of Argentina.
Travel Award: ACCESS
Three fully funded Awards are available to young people enrolled in a University or IT Access Programme and who wish to participate in a 2 – 3 month summer volunteer programme. Placements are available in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Ecuador, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, New Zealand, Nigeria, Peru, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey or Vietnam across a wide range of volunteering project types.
Travel Awards: Eurocamp
EIL is seeking two Irish delegates who can speak basic German and have an interest in volunteering to join 80 other young people from across Europe and spend 3 weeks at Havelberg in Germany. Packed full with cultural, music and volunteer activities, the programme runs from late late July to mid August. Costs of accommodation, food and all activities are covered by this award which also offers €120 to cover travel costs.
Travel Award: Mexico Volunteer
The co-operative project in the beach village of La Ventanilla in Oaxaca State which was set up to stop the killing and selling of turtles and their eggs and has grown in to a sustainable development project which generates alternative sources of income for the 25 families who live in the community. Oppotunities for a volunteer to help include cleaning and preparation of the eco-friendly tourist cabins, assisting in the community owned restaurant "El maíz azul" ("The blue corn"), or helping in the rehabilitation of confiscated animals and the release of newly-hatched turtles into the ocean.
News & Events
Application deadlines
Please check later in the year for next year's Travel Awards
Get involved with EIL on: 
EIL Intercultural Learning, 1 Empress Place, Summerhill North, Cork, County Cork, Republic of Ireland.
email: info@eilireland.org telephone: +353 (0)21 4551535 lowcall: 1850 292939 fax: +353 (0)21 4551587
cc by-sa 2010 EIL Intercultural Learning