The Office of English Language Programs of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) has instituted the following return to the Program policy, including eligibility criteria and selection information, for former English Language (EL) Fellows who are interested in returning to the EL Fellow Program:

To participate in the Program again, former EL Fellows must:

• Have successfully completed an EL Fellowship
• Submit an online application (if applicable, re-apply by updating previous online account)
• Provide a written recommendation from the PAS or RELO overseeing the EL Fellow’s most recent Fellowship
• Meet current Program eligibility requirements.

The required PAS/RELO letter of recommendation must address the following areas:

• Was the EL Fellow able to adjust professionally and personally to the demands of the institution and culture where s/he was working/living?  Please elaborate.
• Would you say that the performance of the EL Fellow contributed to the mission’s overall public diplomacy objectives as outlined in the MSRP?  Please elaborate.
• If you had the option of extending the EL Fellow’s tenure either in his/her present host institution or at another host institution in your country/region, would you do so?  Why/why not?

In the case of U.S. Embassy officer rotations, the letter of reference should come from the RELO or PAO who had the most substantive involvement in the EL Fellow’s project.

Since the EL Fellow Program is an exchange program, its goal is to have as many U.S. educators as possible participate:

• First preference is given to applicants who have not yet participated in the Program.
• Former EL Fellows will be considered for any remaining hard-to-fill assignments and/or special projects unless they have been out of the Program for five years or more.  For AY 2012-13 consideration, the most recent Fellowship must have been completed by 2007.

Consideration for Senior Fellow projects
It is important to note that returning EL Fellows will NOT be automatically considered for Senior EL Fellow projects, even if the Fellow was a Senior Fellow in the past. A participant’s having been a Senior EL Fellow indicates that the project was defined as a Senior project. A Senior project is not solely based on the qualifications or experience of the Fellow, but on the intricacies of the project itself, which include not only duties, but also location, audience, and priority.