Leadership Development

Global Citizens Grant

The Global Citizens Grant provides students with the opportunity to pursue summer volunteer and public service projects outside of the United States.  The intent of the program is to support student projects that are independently designed and focus on providing direct service by working in local communities.  By enabling students to immerse themselves in foreign cultures, the Global Citizens Grant aims to encourage a broadening of perspective among volunteers, the foreign communities in which they will work, and the Bowdoin community to which they will return.

Grants of up to $2500 will cover the cost of travel and living expenses for four to twelve weeks.  Applicants may affiliate themselves with an existing organization in-country, but grants will not pay the costs of joining one of the many varieties of international "service trips" or "service tours" available for purchase.  (Students on financial aid as determined by the Office of Financial Aid may apply for an additional earnings replacement stipend of up to $350/week for up to four weeks.)

As part of the grant, participants are required to:

  • Participate in an orientation to the program during spring semester;
  • Convene with other grant recipients and staff upon return during fall semester for discussion, reflection and to identify common themes which could be addressed through campus-wide educational programming;
  • Present a summary of the experience to students, faculty and staff in a public venue organized by the Community Service Resource Center;
  • Participate in an evaluation of the program at the end of the summer to help craft future program components.

To explore a database of volunteer opportunities around the world, visit www.omprakash.org 

Read about our 2008 Global Citizen Grant recipients