BOLD Academic Fellowships are generally 5 to 6-week long intensive experiential opportunities in the United States with a U.S. institution that specializes in mentoring young leaders in the field of civic engagement or economic development.
They are available to BOLD members aged 18-25 who have good ideas about making a difference and implementing positive change in your communities.
Find out which of the fellowship programs listed below are best suited to you and apply!
Age 18 – 25
5 weeks on a U.S. campus
Students from across Serbia

Application open
BOLD Academic Fellowships on
Civic Engagement
APPLICATION DEADLINE: January 31, 2025
Bard College Center for Civic Engagement, in collaboration with the American Embassy in Serbia, is accepting applications for a year-long, youth engagement fellowship focused on Civic Engagement in the 21st Century: Leadership and the Challenge of the Engaged Citizen. The program is designed for a diverse group of up to 30 emerging youth leaders between ages 18-24 who are interested in exploring notions of civic engagement and ethical leadership while building and practicing project development skills. Participants will be required to develop a community based project proposal for implementation. The goal of the program is to provide participants with the tools to become engaged citizens in their own communities.
The program includes three phases:
February – April 2025: Online seminars focused on building a sense of community and grounding the work in shared definitions and themes;
May 2025: In-person, six-day immersive program in Belgrade which includes the following:
- skills based activities
- thematic seminars
- community engagement activities
- project proposal writing workshops culminating in the submission of a draft
- the development of a peer-led community of practice
June – December 2025: The implementation of a peer-led, online community of practice featuring monthly sessions designed by the cohort to support participants through the implementation phase of a community-based project.
Culminating event designed by participants to be held in December 2025.
Find out more by following the link: https://cce.bard.edu/partners/serbia/
Application open
BOLD Academic Fellowships on
Civic Engagement
APPLICATION DEADLINE: 28 February, 2025
The Serbia BOLD Fellowship includes:
- A pre-departure virtual component that includes four one-hour sessions;
- An intensive four-week academic residency at the University of Nebraska at Omaha;
- A weeklong educational study tour in New York City and Washington, D.C.
Eligibility Criteria
In collaboration with the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade Office of Public Affairs Section, our team will identify, recruit, and nominate a group of 12 BOLD Fellows from Serbia. To be eligible to apply for the 2025 cohort, you must meet all the criteria below:
- Must be between ages 18-25
- Must have a permanent residence in Serbia
- Must be a current student or a recent university graduate in Serbia
- Must have civic engagement ideas for a project in their community
- Must be willing to become part of a larger network and cooperate with their counterparts across Serbia and the rest of the Balkans
- Little or no prior experience in the U.S.
Program Timeline
- Call for applications opens: December 16, 2024
- Call for applications closes: February 28, 2025
- Notifications by the first week of May 2025
- Pre-departure virtual sessions: May 19-June 20, 2025
- Five-week academic residency and educational tour in the U.S.: August 16-September 19, 2025
The application for the 2025 is now open.
Click here to apply.
Preview a PDF version of the application here.

Frequently asked questions
Any BOLD member who is age 18-25. The most qualified applicants will have innovative ideas or an active project with the aim of making a difference in the civic engagement or the economic development of their community. Applicants should tell us what you are working on!
Yes, the U.S. Embassy will assist you with the visa application process, but there is no guarantee that you will be granted a visa. If, according to U.S. immigration law, you are ineligible for a visa, you will not be able to attend the program.
Yes! It’s very easy to become a BOLD member. Click here to sign up now!
Applicants must be between 18-25 on the date the application is due to participate. If you are not yet old enough, use this time to develop your leadership ideas and skills! If you are older than 25 consider applying for a Professional Fellowship.
They are usually 5-6 weeks.
There is no standard requirement, but the BOLD program wants to support real projects that young leaders will put into action to make a difference in their communities. The most effective and innovative ideas that are realistic and achievable will be the most qualified.
We will notify all BOLD members on the website and on BOLD Forum. Be sure to join the Forum!