The Experiment has, for more than 80 years, cultivated in its participants not only a deep awareness and knowledge of different cultures and global issues, but also the leadership capacity needed to be effective in intercultural settings. Experimenters have gone on to do extraordinary work in the world and attain important leadership positions in a diversity of fields and professions. The Leadership Institute programs further our mission and legacy of equipping the next generation of global leaders with the knowledge, skills, and intercul- tural competencies required to take meaningful action on critical issues at local and global levels.
The Experiment Leadership Institute offers six-week pro- grams in South Africa and India specifically focused on leadership development. These programs foster discussion on the local and global ramifications of particular topics, such as global health, human rights, and social change; promote critical understanding of these and other global issues; and provide participants with an opportunity to see in real time what communities are doing on the ground to address these challenges.
The programs begin with a Washington, DC–based seminar and are followed by a month of host-country immersion and field-based learning. Participants then return to the US for debriefings, project-planning sessions, and reentry workshops. The Leadership Institute programs have been carefully designed to provide participants with a unique and extraordinary op- portunity to acquire the critical skills and intercultural competencies necessary to become effective leaders.
72 The Experiment in International Living 2016 | experiment.org
Intensive Leadership Training in Advance of College
The Experiment offers two highly competitive, fully funded programs for participants deeply interested in intercultural leadership, global issues, and civic engagement.
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PROGRAM DETAILS
Program eligibility and selection criteria:Because there are only 15 spaces per program, the application process is highly competitive. Applicants should possess an interest in global issues, a commitment to volunteer and civic activities, leadership potential demonstrated through community and/or school in- volvement, and an ability to work cooperatively in diverse groups.
Applicants must:
• Be rising seniors who are at least 16 years old but not more than 18 years old at the time of the program
• Have a high school graduation year of 2017 • Demonstrate strong academic performance • Obtain a passport that is valid through at least
February 2017
Apply online at experiment.org: When you start your online application for admission, on the Program Selection page, choose either India: Public Health and Community Development (Lead- ership Institute) or South Africa: Youth Leadership in Peace, Politics, and Human Rights (Leadership Institute) for your first- or second-choice program. You should also enter a third-choice Experiment program that is not a Leadership Institute program; if you are not selected for the Leadership Institute, we will consider your application for your third-choice program.
Application deadline and details: The deadline to apply for an Experiment Leadership Institute program is January 20, 2016. Applicants will be required to submit references from two dif- ferent adult teachers, mentors, or coaches; essay questions; and other relevant materials. Applicants will be asked to describe previous leadership roles, learning acquired from those roles, and what the applicant hopes to gain through participation in the Experiment Leadership Institute.
We seek applicants who can take initiative through the application process, particularly because this is a leadership development program. We discourage parent involvement in the initial application process. Should you have questions, applicants should contact us at 800 345-2929 or at [email protected].
* International Applicants: The Experiment in International Living
welcomes and encourages international participants to apply to an Experi- ment Leadership Institute program. International applicants should please note, however, that due to the high variability of international airfare, the flight from your home country to Washington, DC, at the beginning of the program and from Vermont back to your home country at the program’s conclusion will not be covered by The Experiment. Please contact the Experiment admissions office for more information.
Program Components
• Intensive four-day Leadership Seminar in Washington, DC. Based on a powerful experiential leadership curriculum, the Leadership Seminar includes trainings, workshops, field trips, group exercises, and discussions with political and NGO leaders.
• Four-week immersive Experiment program in India or South Africa. See individual Leadership Institute program pages for details pertaining to each program.
• Four days of project planning sessions in Brattleboro, Vermont. Reconvening on the beautiful School for Interna- tional Training campus in southern Vermont, participants have synthesis sessions, briefings, a reentry workshop, and brainstorming sessions on a post-program project. • Post-program project implemented in participants’
home communities.
What You Will Gain:
• Build interpersonal leadership skills in intercultural settings.
• Receive training on leadership development, teambuilding, communication strategies, and cross-cultural understanding.
• Engage in thematic workshops and strategy discussions on critical global issues and local action. • Meet with political and NGO leaders in Washington,
DC, and in the host country.
• Witness how communities are taking action on specific critical issues in an international context. • Advance your ability to communicate ideas
effectively to diverse audiences.
• Acquire knowledge, skills, and training on how to take action on critical issues at global and local levels.
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A Full Scholarship Program
Thirty competitive and full scholarships for the Experiment Leadership Institute have been made available through the generous support of individual donors. Participation on an Experiment Leadership Institute program is fully funded for accepted students.*
Key Features
• Intensive leadership and activism training in Washington, DC
• Onsite meetings with experts and advocates at primary health centers, youth organizations, and NGO headquarters
• Workshop with an organization working for public health and positive change in India • Rural visit to a tribal village and meeting with
youth parliament members
• Excursion to Jaipur to meet with NGOs like Barefoot College, a rural development organization, and Jaipur Foot Factory, the world’s largest producer of prosthetic below-the-waist limbs • Engagement with Indian peer groups at Global
School of Learning in Bahraich District • Visit to the Taj Mahal in Agra
• Two-week homestay with an Indian family • Project planning sessions in Vermont
• Action-oriented project to be implemented after the program’s conclusion
ExpErimEnt LEadErship institutE