Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellowship

The Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellowship (BFTF), a program of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, began in 2006 to commemorate the 300^th anniversary of birth of Benjamin Franklin, the legendary American statesman and diplomat, whose career, interests, and studies took him across the Atlantic Ocean, bringing about better understanding between Americans and Europeans.

As a diplomat and a printer, he used the power of diplomacy and the media to increase the exchange of information between Americans and the people of other countries.  The Institute guides U.S. and European participants to examine what we need to know about each other to communicate better and to face the many challenges of the 21^st century together. The Institute also explores how young people interact with media, both as consumers and producers of information, and how the freedom of expression provides rights and imposes responsibilities on citizens.