"It is my deepest hope that the world can begin to look at our friends with special needs and, for once, tell them, 'Yes, you do belong; yes, you are wonderful; yes, you can be a shining light of hope for the world!" — Eunice Kennedy Shriver FAQ's Detailed Program Content Application Program Overview The Eunice Kennedy Shriver (EKS) Fellowship Program serves as a powerful mechanism for creating a cadre of professionals to lead Special Olympics Programs in developing nations, as well as to collaborate with Special Olympics on cross-sector initiatives to raise the status of people with intellectual disabilities. The EKS Fellowship Program is a professional development opportunity for mid-career individuals interested in NGO efforts benefiting people with intellectual disabilities. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of State through the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs under the authority of the Fulbright-Hays Act of 1961, as amended. Goals The goals of the EKS Program are as follows: To promote civil society development by building capacity of NGOs and facilitating cross-sector cooperation. To solicit, capture and share perspectives and knowledge from around the globe, and provide access to information about best practices in disability services and supports, programs and policies, sports management and NGO administration. To create a cadre of well-trained professionals dedicated to promoting effective policies and programs that benefit people with intellectual disabilities around the world. To strengthen Special Olympics and to allow more people with intellectual disabilities, their families and communities to benefit from the transformational power of this movement. Program Content Program participants will engage in a focused set of activities that emphasize practical hands-on professional experiences. Fellows will be placed at Special Olympics Programs (called “Host Programs”) in 2009 in the United States and will work in departments that can provide an intense learning and working experience over the course of approximately four weeks. While in the United States, Fellows will support their Host Program with short-term projects that meet their learning objectives for completing a Fellowship Project to be implemented after they return home. In addition, Fellows will complete approximately six weeks of intensive learning rotations at Special Olympics headquarters in Washington, DC, and at other U.S. locations on topics including Leadership, Development, Communications, Government Affairs and Research. Upon completion of the U.S. portion of the program, each Fellow will implement a Fellowship project at the Special Olympics Program in his/her country. The project should take 250 hours total to complete over a period of six months. “In the beginning of the EKS Program I felt culture shock and worked through the challenges of adapting to a new country. I met many new friends whom I never would have imagined that I would meet… the EKS Program has taught me to be more independent, and to be not afraid to express my thoughts and ideas. I would say my experience working with Special Olympics New York City taught me many lessons about how real leadership functions in the field and how I can improve myself to be a better leader in my job at Mattel and as a volunteer for Special Olympics Indonesia.” -Herlin Suherlan, EKS Fellow 2008