Who can apply?

2024 APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED

Israeli and Palestinian teens with at least one Israeli or Palestinian parent are eligible to apply if they will be 15 years of age by July 1st up to 18 years of age, providing they will have at least one more academic year in Israel/Palestine following the summer they are applying for. The first step is completion of an application form in conjunction with their parents. All applications are reviewed by a bi-communal team of volunteer Israeli/Palestinian Coordinators, and all applicants are invited for interviews. Commitment to bi-communal activity, leadership potential, and feasibility of participation are assessed during the interview process. Subsequent to the interviews, a select number of teens are offered slots in the program. Teens accepted into the program participate in a series of group meetings. The meetings include many opportunities to develop cross-cultural understanding.

Applying is as easy as 1, 2, 3!

Step 1 – Apply Online

The online application is separated into four parts. Before beginning the application, the teen and their parents should download and/or print and read the TEEN FAMILY HANDBOOK to learn about the Creating Friendships for Peace Program in more detail.

PART 1 – TO BE COMPLETED BY THE TEEN

THIS APPLICATION CANNOT BE COMPLETED ON A MOBILE PHONE. In order to keep your time online to a minimum, you should have the following information available before completing this application:

A photo file of your face to upload (max. file size = 500KB)

Your passport information

Thoughtful answers to the following essay questions saved in a word-processing program so you can copy and paste into the application:
a. Why do you want to participate in the Middle East Friendship Program?
b. What does peace building mean to you and what qualities do you believe being a leader entails?
c. What is the greatest non-academic challenge you have faced so far? How did you manage this challenge?
d. What clubs, activities or hobbies have you been involved in during the last three years? Describe your role(s) in these. Describe any activities you have done to visit the other community.
e. What other programs are you applying for that could interfere with your participation in CFP?
f. It is important for youth to take actions towards peace with their counterparts in Israel/Palestine. Why do you believe this is important and why do you believe it’s up to the youth?

PART 2 – TO BE COMPLETED BY A TEEN’S PARENT
This part requires payment of the application fee of $20 with a credit card.

PART 3 – TEACHER REFERENCE
This part is to be completed in English by a teacher who knows the teen well. The teen should ask the teacher to make a recommendation and give the teacher the link to PART 3. The teacher’s recommendation will be submitted directly to the Coordinators, so the teen must follow up with the teacher to be sure PART 3 has been completed.

PART 4 – CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION
This part asks the parent(s)/guardian(s) and the teens to sign their agreement to all the rules/conditions of participation of the program.  Parent or Parents/Guardian(s) are to deliver signed copies of this document to any of the two CFP Coordinators by the application deadline.

Step 2 – Compile Additional Information

Application Parts 1, 2 and 3 have already been emailed to the Israeli/Palestinian Coordinators. Some applicants may wish to submit additional information on their activities and honors, which they can bring with them on Interviews Day.

Step 3 – Attend Interviews Day

Detailed information on time and place of Interviews Day, as well as other CFP dates are included on the Program Schedule.