Applications are now open for the 2027 G. Barrie Landry Child Protection Professional Training Program at the François-Xavier Bagnoud (FXB) Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University. The prestigious one-week intensive programme offers full tuition scholarships for all admitted participants, creating an important professional development opportunity for mid-career child protection professionals from around the world. The training will take place from 7 to 11 June 2027 at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health campus in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The programme is designed for experienced professionals working to protect children from abuse, violence, exploitation and neglect. Participants may come from government institutions, international organisations and local non-governmental organisations. Importantly, applications must be submitted by cross-sectoral country teams of three members. Individual applications will not be considered. The application deadline is 1 December 2026. About the G. Barrie Landry Child Protection Professional Training The G. Barrie Landry Child Protection Professional Training Programme, also known as the Landry CP Training, is an intensive, one-week, on-site learning programme designed to strengthen the knowledge, leadership and practical skills of professionals working in child protection. The programme recognises that children face different risks and challenges across countries and communities. These may include displacement, child labour, abuse, neglect, early marriage, violence, conflict and the effects of natural disasters. Despite these differing circumstances, children have fundamental rights to health, education, justice and protection. Addressing complex child protection challenges requires an integrated and multi-sectoral approach involving governments, civil society, international organisations and other relevant actors. The Landry CP Training is designed to help participants deepen their understanding of child protection issues while developing leadership, negotiation and coalition-building skills that can support stronger and more sustainable child protection systems. Full Tuition Scholarships Available One of the major benefits of this programme is the availability of full tuition scholarships for all selected participants. Thanks to support from the G. Barrie Landry Fund for Child Protection Professional Training and UNICEF USA, admitted participants will have all Harvard University course fees covered. This means that successful applicants will not be required to pay tuition fees for the training. However, participants and their organisations will remain responsible for: International or domestic travel costs. Accommodation expenses. Living expenses. Required visa costs. Other travel documentation. Meals not included as part of the training. Participants are also responsible for securing any visas and travel documents required to attend the programme in the United States. What Participants Will Learn The programme is taught by Harvard faculty and child protection experts with relevant professional expertise. The training aims to provide participants with a deeper understanding of the impact of violence, exploitation and abuse on children’s emotional, intellectual and social development. Participants will also explore the traumatic effects that war and natural disasters can have on children. Key learning areas include: Understanding violence, exploitation, abuse and neglect and their effects on children. Multidisciplinary approaches to preventing and responding to child-specific harms. Analytical frameworks and legal principles based on international human rights. Understanding the components of effective child protection systems. Data sources and challenges relating to child protection systems. Evidence-based advocacy. Digital solutions for addressing child protection challenges. Coalition-building and leadership. Negotiation skills. Policy and legislative reform. Multi-sectoral cooperation across education, health, social services and justice. The training is intended to help participants use their new knowledge and skills to develop practical options for strengthening child protection systems in their respective countries. Who Should Apply? The programme is aimed at mid-career professionals whose work involves child protection and who are committed to strengthening their impact through multi-sectoral leadership. Eligible participants may work for: Government agencies. International organisations. Local NGOs and civil society organisations. Applicants should have experience working in areas where child protection is critical and should be interested in developing stronger leadership skills. A particularly important requirement is that applications must be submitted as a country team consisting of three people. The preferred composition is: One member employed by a government institution. One member employed by an international organisation. One member employed by a local NGO. The programme does not accept applications from individuals. Fluency in written and spoken English is also required. Practical Country-Based Learning A key feature of the G. Barrie Landry training is its focus on practical challenges facing participating countries. Before travelling to Harvard, each country team will work together to prepare a case study based on a real child protection challenge they are facing and would like to address. The case study will be presented at the beginning of the training week. During the programme, participants will use research, expert instruction and discussions to analyse and further develop possible solutions to their identified challenge. Previous country case studies have addressed issues such as: Child marriage. Alternative care. Violence against children. Inadequate legal frameworks. Insufficient social service workforces. Lack of reliable administrative data on child protection. On the final day, each country team will present the key lessons and proposed approaches developed during the training. Their presentations will be shared with a panel of Harvard-affiliated child protection experts, who will provide individualised feedback and suggestions. Examples of Training Topics The programme covers a range of child protection issues and practical approaches. Previous sessions have included topics such as: Leveraging science to protect the developing brain from violence, abuse and neglect. Strengthening the social service workforce. Climate change, disasters and child well-being. Negotiation for stronger child protection systems. Child protection in a digital world. Juvenile justice, research, policy and advocacy. Social and structural inequalities and children’s health. The combination of academic learning, practical problem-solving and country-based case studies makes the programme particularly relevant for professionals seeking solutions that can potentially be applied in their national contexts. Training Dates and Places Available The 2027 programme will take place from 7–11 June 2027. The training will be held on-site at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health campus in Boston, Massachusetts. The programme runs from Monday midday until Friday midday. Enrolment is limited to 30 participants, representing just 10 country teams of three members each. Given the limited number of available places, eligible teams are encouraged to begin discussing their potential application and preparing the required information well before the deadline. Applicants will be notified of admissions decisions during or before the week of 25 January 2027. How to Apply Interested organisations and country teams must first request an application form. To request an application form for a country team, applicants should contact Rebecca Shin, Director of the Child Protection Program, by email. Teams should ensure that they meet the cross-sectoral three-person application requirement before proceeding. The application deadline is 1 December 2026. Request an application form: For further information about the programme, eligibility requirements and the application process, visit the FXB Center’s official G. Barrie Landry Child Protection Professional Training Program page. Final Thoughts The 2027 G. Barrie Landry Child Protection Professional Training Programme offers a valuable opportunity for experienced child protection professionals to study at Harvard University with full tuition support. By bringing together country teams from government, international organisations and local NGOs, the programme aims to strengthen collaboration and build practical solutions to child protection challenges. With only 10 country teams admitted, professionals and organisations interested in participating should begin identifying eligible team members and requesting an application form as early as possible. Teams must submit their applications by 1 December 2026 for the opportunity to participate in the intensive training programme taking place in Boston from 7 to 11 June 2027. Landry CP Training – Brochure 2027 – FINALDownload For more opportunities such as these please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and WPChannel Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) does not take ownership or credit for the opportunities shared on this platform. All opportunities are sourced from official announcements and external sources for informational purposes only. 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