The French-American Foundation is the principal non-governmental organization linking France and the United States at leadership levels and across the full range of the French-American relationship. 
Apply to the 2010 Young Leaders Program
- About the 2010 Young Leaders Selection Process
- 2010 Young Leaders Selection Calendar
- Guidelines for Referring Candidates to the Program
- Application Requirements and Selection Guidelines for Young Leader Candidates
- Answers to Commonly Asked Applicant Questions
- Foundation Contact Information
- Click Here to Download the Application Form
1. About the 2010 Young Leaders Selection Process
The French-American Foundation and the French-American Foundation-France opened the 2010 Young Leaders selection process on December 11, 2009. The Young Leaders Program, a flagship program of the French-American Foundation, was created in 1981 to foster a new network of trans-Atlantic leaders. The Young Leaders selection process is highly competitive and regularly results in significantly more candidacies than can be accommodated in a given year.
Since its inception, the program has taken small groups of carefully selected up-and-coming leaders in government, business, media, the military and the non-profit sector and provided them with the opportunity to spend five days together two years in a row, once in France and once in the United States. During the annual meetings, Young Leaders spend time discussing policy issues of critical contemporary concern and, more importantly, getting to know their French-American Young Leader counterparts.
Past and current participants in the Young Leaders program regularly meet for informal gatherings as well as for more formal symposia organized in France and the United States.
Young Leaders are selected by committees in France and the United States in a process coordinated by both Foundations. Candidates are identified in several ways: through recommendations from past participants, from board members and committee members of the two Foundations as well as from other interested observers and from media reports about rising young personalities. The Foundations cover the travel and lodging expenses of selected Young Leaders during the two annual meetings.
If you wish to apply to the program, please read the selection guidelines below. Guidelines are also included for individuals who wish to refer candidates to the program.
Monday, December 14, 2009 through Tuesday, February 16, 2010:
Tuesday, February 23, 2010:
March and April 2010:
May 2010:
June 2010:
Autumn 2010:
3. Guidelines for Referring Candidates to the Program
A candidate referral consists of suggesting a candidate to the program. You are not required to write him or her a letter of recommendation. To refer a candidate, please send an email to the appropriate Foundation contact by Monday, February 8, 2010 with the following information:
— The candidate’s professional title, company, mailing address, email address and telephone number
— Your full name, professional title, company, mailing address, email address and telephone number
Please send your email to:
For American Candidates: Chrissa LaPorte at claporte@frenchamerican.org
For French Candidates: Zenab Choug at zenab.choug@french-american.org
Please note: You may not refer more than three candidates to the Young Leaders program in a given year.
Answers to commonly asked questions:
Are there restrictions on individuals I may refer to the program?
You may not propose a Young Leader candidate who is a member of your family. In addition, Young Leader candidates must be between 30 and 40 years of age when they apply to the program.
What are the characteristics of a successful candidate to the Young Leaders program?
Most successful Young Leaders candidates have already finished their graduate work and have achieved success in their field. Candidates are evaluated according to their potential to rise to the highest levels of their chosen profession and to contribute to the enrichment of the French-American relationship.
How selective is the program?
We regularly receive many more candidacies than we can accommodate in a given year. In 2009, we accepted about 20% of the candidates who applied to the program.
4. Application Requirements and Selection Guidelines for Young Leader Candidates
Given the number of highly qualified candidates who apply each year, please carefully review the selection criteria below and consider whether your professional achievements meet the requirements of this program.
Application Requirements
A complete application consists of:
- A complete application form (please click here to download a copy of the form)
- A curriculum vitae (French candidates must also include a photo)
- 1 - 3 letters of recommendation. The letter of recommendation should serve to highlight the leadership qualities of the candidate, his/her potential in his/her chosen professional field and his/her ability to contribute to the enrichment of the Young Leaders program as a whole. The letter of recommendation cannot be written by a family member of the candidate.
- A statement of interest written by the candidate is also strongly recommended. The statement of interest should be 500-750 words, in which the candidate should identify his/her objectives for participating in the Young Leaders program, both on a professional and a personal level, and the type of contribution s/he can make to the year’s class and to the alumni group as a whole.
- All candidates are required to participate in an interview with Foundation staff members. Applicants MUST contact the Foundation as early as possible from Monday, December 14, 2009 to schedule an interview.
Language requirements: For American candidates, all of these materials (including the letters of recommendation) must be in English. For French candidates, the CV and/or statement of interest must be in English – the letters of recommendation may be in French or English.
Interview: Each applicant will be asked to participate in a short in-person or phone interview and must have scheduled this interview by Tuesday, February 16, 2010.
— To schedule your interview: Candidates who intend to apply to the program should contact the Foundation directly to schedule an interview.
American candidates should contact: Chrissa LaPorte, claporte@frenchamerican.org
French candidates should contact: Zenab Choug, zenab.choug@french-american.org
— Prior to your interview, please make sure that you have sent a copy of your CV to the appropriate Foundation contact. We do not require your application to be complete at the time of your interview.
Application Deadline: Tuesday, February 23, 2010
To submit an application:
- All application materials (application form, letter(s) of recommendation, CV, statement of interest) should be submitted in a single email. Attachments should be in either PDF or Word formats.
- French candidates should send their completed applications to rsvp@french-american.org
- American candidates should send their completed applications to: Chrissa LaPorte at claporte@frenchamerican.org
Selection Guidelines
Age
Candidates to the Young Leaders program are between 30 and 40 years of age when they apply to the program. The age requirement is strictly applied: you cannot apply to the program if you are under or above this age limit.
Eligibility
Relatives of Foundation staff and of members of the Young Leaders selection committee are not considered eligible for the program.
Selection criteria
- Candidates are evaluated according to their potential to attain the highest level of their chosen profession.
- Candidates are also evaluated according to their overall enthusiasm for the program and for participating as an active member of the Young Leaders alumni community. More broadly, the potential for candidates to contribute to the enrichment of the French-American relationship is also considered.
- Ensuring that there is variety among the selected participants is also a strong priority in the selection process. The Foundation values professional, regional, ethnic and gender representation. It is important to note that this is a consideration in the selection process with regard to each particular class of Young Leaders as well as in relation to the community of Young Leader alumni.
- Detailed knowledge of France is not a requirement for American candidates nor is detailed knowledge of the United States required of French candidates.
- Fluency in English is a requirement for all candidates, French and American, since the program is conducted in English.
For more information about last year’s Young Leaders, please click here.
Responsibilities of selected Young Leaders
Young Leaders who are selected by the French-American Foundation are expected to participate in two five-day meetings over two consecutive years, one in France and one in the United States.
Responsibilities of the Foundations
The Foundations will cover the travel and lodging expenses of selected Young Leaders during the two Young Leaders meetings.
5. Answers to Commonly Asked Applicant Questions
Referrals:
May I be referred by my company and/or its human resources division?
You may. However, please note that when you apply to the Young Leaders program, you are considered to be applying as an individual and not as a “delegate” or representative of an organization.
Does the Foundation accept the applications of candidates who have not been referred to the program?
Yes - a candidate does not need to be referred to the program in order to apply.
Should one of the letters of recommendation be from the individual who first referred me to the program?
You may include a letter from the individual who referred you to the program, but you are not required to do so. This letter would count as one of the three letters of recommendation that a candidate may include with an application.
Questions on where to apply:
I have dual French-American citizenship – where should I apply?
You may choose to apply either in France or the United States in a given year. However, you may not submit an application to both the French and the American selection processes.
Where should I apply – I am an American living in France (or I am French but I live in the United States)?
Under most circumstances, if you are American and are living in France (or another country abroad), you should still submit your application to the American selection process. The same principle holds for French candidates – French candidates should still apply to the French selection process even if living in the United States or another country outside France.
What if I am not French or American – may I still apply to the program?
You need not have French or American citizenship to apply to the program. However, the program is designed to identify Young Leaders who will make a strong contribution to the French-American relationship, and candidates are evaluated in this context by the selection committees.
Selectiveness of the program and resubmitting an application:
How selective is the program?
We regularly receive many more candidacies than we can accommodate in a given year. In 2009, we accepted about 20% of the candidates who applied to the program.
Can I apply more than once to the program?
Yes, there is no limit to the number of times a candidate can apply. Due to the competitive nature of the program, candidates are regularly selected to the program after applying more than once.
How do I resubmit my application?
A candidate reapplying to the program is required to submit a new application, which includes:
- An updated CV and statement of interest (if applicable)
- Candidates who are re-applying to the program may resubmit letters of recommendation from a previous year. We recommend, however, that candidates submit at least one new letter of recommendation.
6. Foundation Contact Information
For answers to additional questions, please contact:
French candidates: Zenab Choug at zenab.choug@french-american.org
American candidates: Chrissa LaPorte at claporte@frenchamerican.org
< Go back to the main page