HerStart International Fellowships
Contribute your skills and gain international volunteer experience while collaborating with women and global partners to drive social entrepreneurship and gender equality.
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Why an International Fellowship?
For over 30 years, YCI has guided thousands of Canadians through volunteer abroad programs. Before departure, you will receive holistic training that prepares you for life overseas and builds your knowledge in key areas including gender, climate and social impact. Once in Ghana, Tanzania or Uganda, our experienced team will get you settled and provide you with tailored support throughout your placement. Upon your return home, reintegration support will help you debrief your experience and guide you to your next opportunity!
Costs covered by YCI:
- An international roundtrip flight
- A monthly stipend to cover basic living costs during placement
- A stipend towards vaccines and medications
- In-country emergency medical and evacuation insurance
- Required travel visas
Through a HerStart Fellowship, you will connect and collaborate with young women, communities and global partners to help grow social entrepreneurship ecosystems. While expanding your professional network, you will also help women launch or scale the next wave of social businesses that will benefit people, the economy and the planet.
Add to your CV and lived experience by building new knowledge, skills and networks to shape your impact-driven journey through an immersive international volunteer fellowship.
Gain exclusive access to:
- An international network of like-minded people and organizations that will be with you long after the Fellowship
- High-quality training and mentorship from our global partners and subject matter experts in their fields, including gender equality, social enterprise, monitoring and evaluation, climate action, and human-centred design
- Ongoing support from our experienced teams before, during and after your placement
- Unique opportunities to build transferable skills, including coaching and mentorship, cross-cultural communication, project management and more
Experiences built for a better future
A HerStart Fellowship is a specialized experience for Canadians built around your diverse skills, knowledge and passions including:
Gender Equality
Support YCI and global partners to identify gendered barriers, design gender-responsive solutions and amplify women’s strengths.
Climate Action
Join the team to raise awareness of environmental issues, design climate-responsive solutions and build a network of green businesses.
Social Entrepreneurship
Support the development of social entrepreneurs and the implementation of the HerStart Catalyst Fund, which provides financial grants and coaching for women-led social enterprises.
Communications
Use your creative skills to design and deliver innovative trainings and communication materials for the HerStart fellows, partners and women entrepreneurs.
Monitoring & Evaluation
Apply your data collection, analysis and reporting skills to the critical topics of women’s empowerment, climate action and social entrepreneurship.
Program & Partnerships
Collaborate with staff, partners and fellows by flexing your project management, partnership development or volunteer engagement skill sets to deepen HerStart’s impact.
Looking to grow personally and professionally? Have you always wanted to volunteer abroad and gain global experience? A 3-month International Fellowship allows you to share your skill sets and support young women to become agents of social change – all while gaining new knowledge to enhance your future.
Do you want to steer your future in a bold new direction? A 6-month International Fellowship for Canadians of all ages, professions and academic backgrounds allows you to put your knowledge to use while gaining unparalleled professional experience within global development.

Steps to Become an International Fellow
Submit an application before an upcoming deadline. If your application is successful, you will receive an interview invitation and participate in a virtual interview with a YCI staff member.
If your interview is successful, you will receive a position offer. Once you've indicated your interest in moving forward, you'll be asked to submit two professional or academic references and you'll receive a Volunteer Agreement to review, sign and submit.
Once you have submitted your deposit and met your fundraising goal, you'll complete your 5-day virtual pre-departure training.
Deploy to your assigned location to start your placement with in-country orientation.
Hear from our network
— Ramsha Ahmed, Program and Training Fellow, Cohort 1
— Sarah Naylor, Program and Training Fellow, Cohort 1
— Shanna Sunley, Research & Insights Fellow, Cohort 1
— Katarina Alurovic, Research and Insights Fellow, Cohort 2
— Joseph Flores, Climate Action Fellow, Cohort 2
FAQ
You have questions, we have answers. We’re here to help you figure out if a HerStart International Fellowship is right for you.
A ‘HerStart Fellowship’ is an opportunity to volunteer with YCI’s HerStart Innovate the Future program. Canadians have the opportunity to meaningfully contribute their time and energy to the bold goals of the HerStart program, while also learning about the critical global topics of women’s empowerment, climate action and social entrepreneurship. This volunteer opportunity has been designed as a fellowship to provide high-quality training, resources, hands-on experience and networking for fellows, while also recognizing the level of knowledge and skills that successful applicants will bring to their positions.
Requirements and desired qualifications for HerStart Fellowships are listed within each position description on the Opportunities page. However, the key eligibility must-haves for all positions include:
- Canadian citizen or permanent resident
- Professional level English language skills (written and verbal)
- Enrolled in or graduated from a post-secondary institution (or have equivalent work experience)
- Access to a personal laptop to use throughout placement
- Able to commit to the full term of engagement
- Able to meet the fundraising goal before the start date
- Able to meet all travel requirements for international placements
- Be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (two doses) at least 14 days prior to departure and be able to provide proof of vaccination
Please note that individuals from all age, gender, academic and professional backgrounds are welcome and encouraged to apply. Although previous international development experience will be considered an asset, it is not required to participate in the HerStart Fellowship program.
International Fellowship placements are full-time engagements in which volunteers collaborate with global staff and partners during regular in-country working hours. To suit different types of availability and program needs, placements are either 3 or 6 months in duration. Each International Fellowship also includes a week of virtual pre-departure training before you go and a week of reintegration support when you return home.
HerStart International Fellows have the opportunity to access many resources, connections and experiences to advance their personal and professional development. A few examples include high-quality training, ongoing mentorship, and membership to an exclusive international network focused on women’s empowerment, climate action and social enterprise. Fellows will be eligible for one vacation day per month while on placement. International Fellows will also have most of their travel and living costs covered by YCI (see below).
To help make international volunteering more accessible, YCI covers many costs involved in the fellowship experience. Expenses covered include international roundtrip airfare, required travel visas and a monthly allowance to cover basic living costs including accommodation, communications, food and transportation. Fellows also receive a stipend towards necessary vaccines and medications and in-country emergency medical and evacuation insurance.
Learning and development is a key component of the fellowship experience. Each fellow participates in a comprehensive training process, which includes pre-departure training, in-country orientation, ongoing training events and activities throughout the placement, as well as reintegration trainings and activities upon your return home.
There is a week-long schedule of virtual pre-departure training before you go. During this period, you will engage in interactive Zoom sessions and online courses designed and facilitated by subject matter experts, including YCI staff, fellows and partners. This will cover a wide array of topics, including an orientation to the HerStart program, health and safety overseas, and the core themes of the program (gender equality, social entrepreneurship, climate action and ethical development). Throughout your placement you will actively contribute to the peer-to-peer learning process by leading and engaging in training opportunities with other fellows, partner organizations and YCI staff. You will also be guided through reintegration support and related activities when you return home to debrief the experience and prepare you for your next endeavour.
The application form includes the submission of your CV, past writing or creative samples, and answers to a few long answer questions related to the themes and requirements of the program. You are also able to indicate which roles and countries you are most interested in being considered for. Note that a cover letter is not required. Two professional or academic references will be requested in the final stages of recruitment. If you applied to be considered for a previous cohort, you will need to submit a new application to indicate your updated experience, passions and interests.
COVID-19 has had a profound impact on the nature of YCI’s work, especially as it relates to international travel. Given the complex realities and changing nature of COVID-19 regulations and guidelines, YCI will be resuming HerStart International Fellowships at a reduced capacity. All individuals who are interested in a HerStart International Fellowship should be highly flexible, adaptable and adhere to the following criteria.
International Fellows must be:
- Fully vaccinated (two doses) against COVID-19 and provide proof of vaccination
- Able to meet the Canadian, destination country and airline requirements related to COVID-19 testing
- Agree to follow all COVID-19 mitigation measures as issued by the Canadian Government, YCI staff and local authorities in placement countries
As the current global context continues to evolve, so too will YCI guidelines and processes. As new information and best practices emerge, policies and processes may be adjusted. All individuals considering a HerStart International Fellowship must be willing to meet all requirements and recognize that these may change over time.
Yes, given the evolving nature of COVID-19 regulations internationally, International Fellowship departure dates could change based on several factors, including specific travel restrictions, flight availability, COVID-19 regulations in host country, visa entry and/or work permit requirements, and your health status leading up to your departure date.
These factors are all actively monitored by YCI and we will endeavour to keep you informed if we foresee any changes; however, we request your flexibility and patience as we navigate this unprecedented time.
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