coaching rotary peace fellowship applicants through the application process
TRANSCRIPT
Coaching Rotary Peace
Fellowship Applicants
Moderator: Mark Maloney, Rotary Peace Centers Committee Vice Chair, District 6860
Topic Leaders: Mike Caruso, District Rotary Peace Fellowships Chair, District 5100
Kate Schwadron, District Rotary Foundation Chair, District 6060
Peace Fellows: Roberta Rodrigues (Universidad del Salvador 2006-08), Brazil
Wisdom Addo (Chulalongkorn University February 2012), Ghana
Yuri Haasz (International Christian University 2009-11), Brazil
Ana Laura Zavala Guillen (University of Bradford 2011-13), Argentina
Objectives
1. Learn about the Rotary Peace
Centers Fellowship
2. Understand the responsibilities of
Rotary clubs and districts
3. Learn tips for coaching applicants
4. Hear from experienced Rotarians
about ways to engage potential
applicants
5. Practice helping applicants
through the application process
The Rotary Peace Centers Fellowship
The Rotary Peace Centers Fellowship
Rotary Peace Center Programs: 2 Options for Study
Master’s Degree
Empowers the leaders of tomorrow
• Five centers, six universities
• 10 fellows assigned to each of the 5
master’s centers (50 total)
• 15 to 24 month course
Professional Development Certificate
Strengthens the leaders of today
• One center, one university
• Up to 25 fellows in each session,
maximum of up to 50 per year
• Three month course
Topic Leaders and Peace Fellow Alumni
Rotarian Topic Leaders
• Mike Caruso
• Kate Schwadron
Peace Fellow Alumni
• Wisdom Addo
• Yuri Haasz
• Roberta Rodrigues
• Ana Laura Zavala Guillen
RECRUIT
• Clubs and Districts recruit applicants
• December - May
INTERVIEW AND ENDORSE APPLICANTS
• REQUIRED for Districts
• OPTIONAL for Clubs
• Once an application is received, interview and select which candidates you would like to endorse
• 31 May applications are due to district
APPLICATION DEADLINE
• All endorsed applications are due to TRF by 1 July
TRF Processing
• Districts will receive confirmation that the application has been received
Selection Committee
• Finalists and Alternates will be selected in November
Announcements
• Applicants, Clubs and Districts will be notified about results in November
Lifecycle of an application
Did you know?
Your district may
endorse multiple
qualified applicants
to the Rotary Peace
Centers!
Responsibilities of the Clubs and Districts
Requirements:
• Create a district interviewing committee
• Interview the applicant
• The application is “signed” or endorsed by
the appropriate district leaders
Recommended:
• Review the applicants resume and
written essays
• Provide feedback on the resume and
written essays
• Become a Peacebuilder District
Who’s on the Interview
Committee?
It’s up to your district, but
you may start with the
District Governor and the
Peace Fellowship
Subcommittee Chair!
Application Process: Online Application
Candidate takes responsibility
Application
Worksheets
Required Documents
Master’s applicants
• Resume
• Four written essays
• One academic recommendation
• One professional recommendation
• Undergraduate transcripts in
English
• GRE (Duke/UNC only)
• TOEFL / IELTS (non-native English
speakers)
Certificate applicants
• Resume
• Three written essays
• Two professional recommendations
Required Documents: District Endorsement Form
1 required signature
from the District
Governor and 1
signature from either
the DRFC OR the
Rotary Peace
Fellowships
Subcommittee Chair
OR
Type signature here
Upload picture of signature
All endorsed applications
are due to The Rotary
Foundation by 1 July 2015!
Advising Applicants: Resume
• Proven dedication to service and development
• Proven leadership skills
• Provide quantitative information when possible
• Examples: Volunteer work or special projects
Qualifications
• Education and global learning
• Record of professional development
• Examples: Undergraduate degree, Training courses Skills
• Clear explanation of relevant work experience
• Gives exact dates from previous positions held
• Examples: Community Environmental Organizer, 5/2014 – 12/2014 or May 2014 – December 2014
Experience
What should you be looking for?
Advising Applicants: Essays
Advising Applicants: Essays
The
ideal
essay
Honest
Clearly answers question
Grammatically correct
Organized
Important aspects to remember:
Does the essay make you feel something?
Is the applicant directly stating why they
are the best candidate for the program
they are applying to?
Can you tell they put effort into the essay?
Sample Applicant: At-Large Applicant
Henry, a professional criminal
investigator, is actively involved
in human trafficking and
immigrant community outreach
programs. He is not very familiar
with Rotary, but is dedicated to
creating peaceful communities,
particularly in Bangladesh and
Croatia. He is applying for the
master’s degree program at
Duke/UNC and clearly explains
why he would like to attend the
center in his essays. He is
currently on a project in
Bangladesh but would like to
apply through a club in Portland.
Sample Applicant: At-Large Applicant
Great skills!
Aligns with peacebuilding!
Shows leadership!
Sample Applicant: At-Large Applicant
Not relevant
Not eligible for Duke/UNC
Not exact dates
Items to Consider
• Do they have enough relevant volunteer and professional experience?
• Do they have strong English-language skills?
• Do they speak a second language?
• Do they have any international experience?
• Have they demonstrated leadership skills in their resume and essays?
• Are they committed to peace and conflict prevention/resolution?
• Do they have any prior Rotary involvement?
• Is their resume clear and concise?
• Have they included relevant test scores (Example: GRE, IELTS, TOEFL)?
• Are their recommendations detailed and in English?
• Have they included their academic transcripts in English?
• Have they explained their post-fellowship career aspirations?
Applicant 1 Case Study: Applicant and Local Rotary Club
Rose crosses paths with Rotarian Harris who has been looking to recruit
applicants for the Rotary Peace Fellowship. After a brief conversation, Rotarian
Harris identifies Rose as a good possible candidate for the master’s degree
fellowship and gives her his contact information. Rotarian Harris is very involved
at the club level but does not hold any district leadership positions. Identify next
steps for Rotarian Harris and Rose in order to submit her application
successfully.
Applicant 2 Case Study: Applicant and Local Rotary District
Francine adamantly approaches her local Rotary district to apply for the Rotary
Peace Fellowship. While the applicant meets all the necessary eligibility
requirements (bachelor’s degree, at least 3 years of work experience, not a Rotarian,
etc.), she does not have international experience and does not speak a second
language above a basic level. The Rotary district doesn't believe her application will
be selected for the fellowship for these two reasons. Should the Rotary district
"coach" her out of the process before she applies, or should the district accept her
application and do their best to make her a competitive candidate? Additionally,
Francine has bypassed a local Rotary club and went straight to the district level.
What to do?!
Applicant 3 Case Study: Applicant and Non-Local Rotary Club/District
Adnan came to the United States from Albania to work with a partner organization.
He became involved with the local Rotaract Club and developed a close relationship
with its sponsoring Rotary Club. He heard of the Rotary Peace Fellowships and is
interested in applying for the certificate program. However, the application requires
local Rotary district endorsement, and he is confused from which district to request
endorsement: the Albanian district or his currently local Rotary district in the United
States. He prefers to apply through the Rotary club/district in the United States and
approaches the local district in the states. As the DRFC of this district, how would
you advise Adnan?
Applicant 4 Case Study: Applicant Submits Applicant Online without contacting Club/District
A district leader checks his email Monday morning and notices a new
message with the subject line "Rotary District Endorsement: 2016 Rotary
Peace Fellowship Application." He does not recognize the name of the
applicant; however he does recognize the program for which the applicant is
apparently applying: the Rotary Peace Fellowship! This applicant has not
communicated with him before, and he is unsure how to proceed. What steps
should this district leader take?
Resources
For Rotarians:
Program Guide for Rotarians
PDF Application (Spanish, Portuguese, French, Korean, Japanese)
How to donate funds
For future applicants:
Application Worksheets (Master’s & Certificate)
Application FAQs
Tips to improve your application
Recommendation Forms
Fellowship Guides (Master’s and Certificate)
Visit www.rotary.org/en/peace-fellowships to access resources
Application Checklist Video
Thank you
Questions?
Contact Information:
General Inquiries
Kat O’Brien, Peace Centers Supervisor
Becca Holloway, Peace Centers Coordinator
Upcoming Breakout
What’s happening next?
Join us right back here in a few minutes for:
“Profiles of Successful Rotary Peace
Fellows Applicants”