Water1st Global Fellows are students selected to participate in a travel experience to learn about sustainable development in our project communities.
The Global Fellows program was developed for students to learn the complexities of poverty and the importance of a community-led philosophy of development.
Our curriculum prepares students for a week-long experience with our partners and communities in Kenya, Bangladesh, and Honduras. We provide resources and guidance to support the analytical thinking process around the topic of global development.
Global Fellows learn the importance of entering project communities with respect, humility, and a willingness to listen and learn from people who understand their needs best.
Students will gain a new perspective and a powerful voice to advocate for the people they meet who need safe water.
$2,500 land fee which includes:
Travelers are responsible for their own flights ($1500-$2200), vaccinations and medications, passport and visa fees, and spending money for souvenirs.
Please note that vegetarian and vegan food options may not always be available during travel.
Any sophomore, junior, or senior in high school (or equivalent) who is collaborative, adaptive, self-aware, and motivated to make an impact on one of the world’s biggest problems.
Application deadlines are updated below. Additional interviews will be scheduled upon request.
We will take up to 9 students for each site visit. Please do not be discouraged if you are not selected during the first year you apply.
A $500 nonrefundable deposit will be required once notified of your acceptance to the program. The remainder of the fee must be paid 30 days before travel.
We offer scholarship assistance based on need and we do not ask for income verification.
Income range:
Yes, students are required to attend separate Global Fellow meetings leading up to travel that will prepare students for the experience and upon our return to debrief and process the experience.
Water1st staff will travel with students at all times. There will be 1 adult for every 3 students. Water1st will provide students and their families a detailed itinerary with emergency contact information.
Our cancellation policy is based on the date we receive your written cancellation notice:
Flight Credits
If flights have been purchased on your behalf, any eligible airline credits resulting from a cancellation will be issued to you in accordance with the airline’s fare rules and policies. Airline credits may be subject to expiration dates, change fees, or other restrictions imposed by the carrier.
Applications are currently closed.
Questions? Contact Susan
Global Fellows travel to the beautiful, mountainous Lempira region. The roads are rough, but the projects, the people, and the refried beans are unforgettable. Global Fellows are able to meet and interact with our communities as well as experience our projects at every stage: carry water with community members who are on the waiting list for a project, participate in a construction day in an ongoing project, and celebrate a water system completion. We also spend time on a female-owned coffee farm and in the historic city of La Esperanza to learn more about the Lencan culture.
We will fly in and out of the newest Honduran international airport in Comayagua and spend 4 days visiting Water1st projects in the mountainous Lempira region. We will also visit La Esperanza, the heart of the Ruta Lenca, a region of Lenca ethnic influence.
Meeting and travel prep dates:
Global Fellows will visit our newest program that is the first of its kind in the region with rural households connecting to a piped water system as well as water-seal toilets and a place to bathe. We’ll travel to the western region of Kenya, near beautiful Lake Nam Lolwe (also known as Lake Victoria). Carry water with people who are on our waitlist for projects, visit schools in the region to interact with fellow students who live with water scarcity, and spend days learning alongside the staff of our two newest partner organizations.
We will fly in and out of Kisumu, Kenya, and spend 5 days visiting Water1st projects in the hills above Nam Lolwe, one of the world’s largest and most famous freshwater lakes. We’ll pass within miles of the childhood home of Barack Obama, Sr., father of the 44th U.S. President, and we may cross the equator on the way to visit project sites in Kakamega.
Meeting and travel prep dates: TBD
Global Fellows visit projects in urban neighborhoods in Dhaka and Chattogram, Bangladesh’s two largest cities. Our Bangladesh partner is a pioneer in helping urban communities organize and gain access to clean water and toilets. This is a rare opportunity to interact with the amazing people who are improving the informal urban settlements slums where they live. You will visit households with completed water and toilet projects, learn from community leaders about their plans for future projects, visit schools and interact with students, and participate in health education and menstrual hygiene training sessions. Global Fellows will also be treated to home-cooked meals (begun bhaja!) by our partner organization staff.
We will fly in and out of Dhaka, Bangladesh, and spend 6 days visiting Water1st project communities in Dhaka and Chattogram, a city on a seaport of the Bay of Bengal.
Meeting and travel prep dates: TBD
Students in grades 7th – 12th who utilize their talents and networks to further the work of Water1st while meeting like-minded peers in Seattle and around the world.
