# UK Students Eligible for NextGen Service Fellowship  
**Published:** 2026-05-07T15:02:16.000Z  
**Source:** [University of Kentucky News](https://uknow.uky.edu/student-news/nextgen-service-fellowship-provides-students-hands-international-experience)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/uk-students-eligible-for-nextgen-service-fellowship

LEXINGTON, Ky. — University of Kentucky students are invited to apply for the [NextGen Service Fellowship](https://www.iie.org/programs/nextgen-service-fellowship/), a fully funded international development program supported by [The Rockefeller Foundation](https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/). Applications are due May 18.

The fellowship, administered by the [Institute for International Education](https://www.iie.org/), provides U.S. college students with hands-on experience in international development work addressing vulnerable communities overseas. Successful applicants will participate in four-week summer internships, service-learning projects or volunteer positions between mid-July and mid-August, with all travel, living expenses and placement costs fully covered.

"This is a most welcome initiative from the Rockefeller Foundation," said Sue Roberts, UK's associate vice president for internationalization. "Last year, several UK students were awarded funding and completed rewarding international projects." Roberts noted that the program is especially valuable for students interested in humanitarian or development careers who struggle to identify and fund such opportunities.

Eligible applicants must be U.S. citizens, at least 21 years old, and demonstrate academic merit, leadership, responsibility, flexibility and adaptability. The program places fellows with nongovernmental organizations in Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. Applicants may select from pre-existing programs or work with IIE to be placed in Ethiopia, Mexico or Southeast Asia.

Work focuses on fields including education, public health, agriculture, the environment and economic development. Upon returning home, fellows must submit reflective reports and receive virtual career exploration opportunities connecting them with organizations in global development and public service.

Eight UK students participated in the inaugural 2025 cohort, including architecture senior Kauner Shacklette, who worked redesigning spaces at a community center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. "I would encourage anyone who's eligible to apply," Shacklette said in a university statement. "It opened my eyes to so many different perspectives that I'll carry with me in my career."

UK students seeking guidance on the application process should contact the [Office of Nationally Competitive Awards](https://competitiveawards.uky.edu/) at competitiveawards@uky.edu. More information is available at the fellowship's official website.

## Sources

- [University of Kentucky News](https://uknow.uky.edu/student-news/nextgen-service-fellowship-provides-students-hands-international-experience)
- [Institute for International Education - NextGen Service Fellowship](https://www.iie.org/programs/nextgen-service-fellowship/)
- [University of Kentucky - IIE NextGen Service Fellowship connects student design to global impact](https://international.uky.edu/news/iie-nextgen-service-fellowship-connects-student-design-global-impact)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from University of Kentucky News, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://uknow.uky.edu/student-news/nextgen-service-fellowship-provides-students-hands-international-experience.