Cork-based charity offering fully funded travel scholarships

Cork city-based educational charity EIL Intercultural Learning has announced that applications are open for Explore 2026, offering fully funded travel scholarships to Irish people.

The scholarships are an opportunity for people aged 16 and over to engage in immersive intercultural learning experiences in destinations such as Ecuador, Ghana, Hong Kong, Mexico, Vietnam, and beyond.

With more than 20 scholarships across 13 distinct awards, Explore 2026 is designed to foster cultural awareness, personal growth, and social responsibility.

Scholarship recipients will have the chance to travel on structured programmes of between two and 14 weeks, tailored to promote both personal and professional development, while encouraging active global citizenship.

Explore 2026 empowers participants to address social and global justice issues, equipping them with skills to make a meaningful impact in their communities.

Whether through educational formats, hands-on volunteer work, community immersion, or cultural exchanges, participants will leave with a deeper understanding of global perspectives.

There are more than 20 scholarships available across 13 award categories, with programmes focusing on cultural awareness, personal and emotional growth, and social and global justice.

Lucy Lehane, who won a scholarship to Vietnam recently, said: “The Explore Award transformed how I see the world in more ways than one, teaching me the power of empathy in ways I never imagined. Through volunteering and understanding experiences other than my own, I’ve grown in to such a better, stronger person because of it."

All Irish residents with a passion for intercultural exchange and a desire to become an active global citizen are encouraged to apply and applications are open until Friday, December 5.

For more details on the scholarship opportunities, destinations, and how to apply, visit website www.eilexplore.ie.

EIL Intercultural Learning, based on Washington St in Cork city, is a non-profit organisation dedicated to fostering global understanding through intercultural learning experiences.

With more than 50 years of experience, EIL supports individuals in developing the skills and perspectives necessary to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world.