The PEAK Fellowship is unique because it was designed to go beyond the mere training of developing-country professionals. PEAK aims to ensure that the professionals it helps train actually return to their home countries and organizations; apply their training to their work; and share their newfound skills and knowledge with colleagues and partners. Through a combination of tools and incentives, PEAK is working to halt the "brain drain” in the developing world so commonly associated with advanced training.

That this is working is clear: Virtually all former fellows are still working with their home organizations in their country of origin and are focused on the same technical area for which they were trained -– though most have been given greater responsibility or received formal promotions.

Why is the fellowship so successful? Because the fellowship’s design is perfectly suited to its capacity-building goals.

Customized Training

First, fellowships are completely individualized. Each fellow’s learning objectives and applied project are developed through a joint effort among the fellow, his/her supervisor, and PEAK staff. This planning process occurs during a pre-fellowship workshop that examines how the PEAK Fellowship fits into the organization’s strategy for growth. The input of all three stakeholders ensures that the resulting fellowship meets not only the fellow’s professional development goals but also the needs of the organization.

Once the learning objectives are agreed on, PEAK staff go about identifying the mix of experiences that will best fulfill these objectives. Each fellow receives a customized training package that features one or more professional internships, and may also include formal courses, workshops, or participation in major conferences.

Applied Project

The second unique feature of PEAK is that fellows’ professional development is reinforced through an applied project at their home organization. By providing a small seed grant for this project, PEAK helps fellows put their new skills into practice so that both they and their organizations see immediate benefits.

This combination of off-site training followed by an on-site applied project allows fellows to take advantage of the strengths of both training approaches. Fellows gain access to top regional or international experts, strategies, and models –- and are then able to apply this learning in the context of their own organization.

Pop Fellows Network

Finally, the fact that PEAK operates within the Population Fellows Programs' framework has numerous benefits for the initiative. The Programs have a history of more than 20 years serving and supporting leading professionals and organizations in the field. Our reputation and relationships allow us to develop placements for PEAK Fellows that will provide them not only with the ideal learning environment but also with mentors who are committed to the Programs' capacity-building aims.

In addition, because we are a family of programs, we can offer the possibility of a “fellows exchange.” Early-career U.S. professionals participating in our other programs can provide support to PEAK home organizations while the PEAK Fellow is in training. Supervisors interested in taking advantage of the skills and experience offered by our other fellows and interns should contact us to learn more.