Preview Application Questions Here.
Are you a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) professional or student from Latin America and the Caribbean between the ages of 21-30? Keep reading!
Description
This exchange is a 3-month hybrid program that includes a 14-day academic and professional immersion exchange hosted in the United States in Washington, D.C., Colorado, and Wyoming. It will bring together early-career professionals, researchers, and advanced students (ages 21–30) from Latin America with U.S.-based academics, institutional leaders, and innovation stakeholders. The program features visits to U.S. universities and research centers, workshops on science entrepreneurship, intellectual property, and pathways to graduate education, as well as meetings with international admissions officers and faculty members. Participants will have opportunities to connect with potential research mentors, explore graduate study options, and co-develop seed projects with peers.
The program includes extensive online preparation from early January to mid-February 2026, before participants’ arrival. It offers academic and business English training provided by Language Thread, LLC, along with three progressive workshops focused on research, intellectual property, business planning, and presentation skills. Participants receive mentorship and take part in one-on-one clinics to develop their individual STEAM-related projects.
A particular focus will be on project-, problem-, and phenomenon-based STEAM teaching, along with immersive cultural and diplomatic experiences in Washington, D.C., including interactions with the U.S. Department of State and international organizations. By involving voices from across the Americas, the exchange aims to promote hemispheric collaboration in STEAM education and research, empowering participants to become Citizen STEAM Diplomats and long-term ambassadors of regional cooperation and innovation.
Who should apply?
This initiative aims to connect early-career professionals, researchers, and advanced undergraduates and graduate students from Latin America who work in STEAM fields or STEAM education. This project, this time, focuses on Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing and Science, Biomedical Engineering and Science, Computer Science and Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Environmental Science and Engineering, Art in the Sciences. Participants will be between 21 and 30 years old. The selection process will ensure representation across academic disciplines and from different Latin American countries. This group will be chosen strategically to support the program’s dual goals of increasing access to education and fostering economic growth through STEAM entrepreneurship.
General Eligibility (All Exchanges):
- Be between 21-30 years old by the time the program begins
- Be a citizen and resident of one of the following countries (reside in the same country one is a citizen of):
- Antigua and Barbuda; Argentina; Bahamas; Barbados; Belize; Bolivia; Brazil; Chile; Colombia; Costa Rica; Cuba; Dominica; Dominican Republic; Ecuador; El Salvador; Grenada; Guatemala; Guyana; Haiti; Honduras; Jamaica; Mexico; Nicaragua; Panama; Paraguay; Peru; Saint Kits and Nevis; Saint Lucia; St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Suriname; Trinidad and Tobago; The United States; Uruguay; Venezuela
- Not a Partners of the Americas employee
- Eligibility to obtain a U.S. J-1 visa
- Fluency in English (The exchange will be in English)
- Have a valid passport for six months post-travel
- Be able to attend the virtual and in-person programming
- Ability to submit the application online by the application deadline
- Priority will be given to applicants who have not received a US-government funded exchange grant in the past two years.
- Early-career professionals, researchers, and advanced undergraduates (more than 50% of coursework done and passed) and graduate students from Latin America who work in STEAM fields or STEAM education:
- Artificial Intelligence
- Quantum Computing and Science
- Biomedical Engineering and Science
- Computer Science and Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Environmental Science and Engineering
- Art in the Sciences
Objectives
- Strengthen a strategic hemispheric alliance in STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics)
- Encourage active learning methods like project-, problem-, and phenomenon-based approaches, emphasizing multicultural perspectives
- Promote scientific entrepreneurship with workshops on intellectual property, innovation, and business model design
- Assist in gaining entry to graduate programs in the U.S., with support from mentors and admissions teams
- Train a new generation of STEAM Citizen Diplomats to lead scientific collaboration in the region
Advisory Board
- Dr. Juan Arratia, Ph.D., M.S.
- Dr. Aletha Cherry, Ph.D., M.A.T.
- Dr. Duilia de Mello, Ph.D., M.S.
- Dr. Teresa Kennedy, Ph.D., M.O.
- Dr. Michael Odell, Ph.D., M.A.T.
- Dr. Abi Paytoe Gbayee, Ph.D., M.A.
This exchange, facilitated by the Partners of the Americas Colorado Chapter, was established through a partnership between Universidad Nacional del Comahue (Argentina) and the University of Texas at Tyler (USA), which in 2024 carried out an academic exchange supported by Partners of the Americas and the 100K Strong in the Americas initiative.
The Education and Culture Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and supported in its implementation by Partners of the Americas.