The Department of State’s Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellowship (BFTF) is scheduled to take place in-person from June 24 to July 22, 2025, at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. This initiative is open to young people with Maltese citizenship aged 16 to 19. The program honors American statesman and diplomat Benjamin Franklin, whose life and career strengthened transatlantic cooperation.
The Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellowship (BFTF), a program of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, began in 2006 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of birth of Benjamin Franklin, the legendary American statesman and diplomat, whose career, interests, and studies took him across the Atlantic Ocean, bringing about better understanding between Americans and Europeans.
The BFTF fosters relationships among the younger generation of Europeans and Americans to build strong linkages and an awareness of shared values. The Fellowship engages 45 teenagers from Europe and ten American teenagers (ages 16 - 19) in a four-week U.S.-based exchange program that aims to reinforce the transatlantic relationship. During the Fellowship, participants will explore transatlantic relations, leadership development, critical thinking, diplomacy, community activism, and the media in order to unite young adults around common goals.
The program offers a combination of interactive classes, seminars, workshops, webinars, and teleconferences presented by prominent scholars and specialists in international relations, diplomacy, communication, media, and civic education. The program will consist of four modules, each representing a component of Benjamin Franklin’s legacy:
- International Relations & Diplomacy Module
- Media & Communication Module
- Civic Education & Democratic Citizenship Module
- Service & Volunteerism Module
The coursework and classroom activities will be complemented by community service activities, site visits, social and cultural activities, and homestays with American families to deepen participants’ experience of U.S. society during their exchange.
Upon their return home, participants are encouraged implement service projects in their communities and present an alumni project plan to a youth-serving or youth-centered organization in their home country.
BFTF’s goals are:
- to develop a commitment to transatlantic cooperation,
- to foster relationships between American and European youth from different ethnic, religious, and national groups,
- to promote mutual understanding between the United States and Europe, and
- to develop a cadre of young leaders who will share their knowledge and skills with their peers through positive action.
Nominees should have: 1) a strong interest in learning more about diplomacy, the transatlantic relationship, the role of a free press in a democracy, and an interest in public or community service; 2) a strong demonstrated interest in communications, advocacy, debate, or civic participation; 3) the academic aptitude for a program of this nature; 4) personal qualities such as maturity, strong social skills, flexibility, and open-mindedness; and 5) be committed to enrolling in high school or university in their home countries in fall 2025, following completion of the program.
Nominees must be mature, responsible, independent, confident, open-minded, tolerant, thoughtful, and inquisitive and suited to campus life, shared living accommodations, travel, and interaction with a multinational, co-ed group of participants from across Europe and the United States. Nominees must be comfortable proactively engaging with the Americans they meet in the host communities and able to adjust to cultural and social practices different from those of their home countries.
Ideally nominees will have little or no prior U.S. study or travel experience in the U.S. Nominees must be Maltese citizens; dual U.S./Maltese citizens are not eligible. Fluency in English is essential.
Nominees must demonstrate a serious interest in pursuing leadership opportunities in civic society in Malta and demonstrate a genuine desire to learn firsthand about the United States, its people, society, and institutions. The selected candidate will be expected to fully participate in all program components, as well as in follow up activities in Malta. In addition, he/she should be ready to inform and educate Americans about the culture of Malta in non-structured gatherings and in public presentations. The applicants must be 16, 17, 18 or 19 years of age at the time of the program - born between June 24, 2006, and June 24, 2009.
International travel costs and visa costs will be paid by the U.S. Embassy. Tuition, ground transportation in the U.S., food and accommodation expenses will be paid by the Department of State's Office of Education and Cultural Affairs. The successful candidate will only need personal spending money.
The closing date for nominations is February 10, 2025. The U.S. Embassy will conduct an initial screening of applications. The applicants selected will be invited to an interview with Embassy officials after which the applications will be forwarded to the Department of State for consideration. The final decision on which candidate will participate in the program rests solely with the Department of State.
Nomination form [PDF]
Please note that nominees must complete each item on the form.
We look forward to receiving your nomination/s on or before February 10, 2025.