Apply for the 2022/2023 Obama Foundation Scholars Program

Apply for the 2022/2023 Obama Foundation Scholars Program

Application Deadline: 22nd December 2021 at 5:00 pm ET.

The Obama Foundation Scholars Program will give rising leaders from the United States and around the world who are already making a difference in their communities the opportunity to take their work to the next level through an immersive curriculum that brings together academic, skills-based, and hands-on learning.

Since 2018, the Obama Foundation Scholars Program at Columbia University has welcomed 46 rising leaders from 36 countries who have demonstrated a commitment to finding solutions to challenges in their communities, countries, and regions. Others include:

• Scholars who were, on average, 33 years of age, with ages ranging from 25 to 45 and
• Emerging institutional and movement leaders addressing a range of challenges, including strengthening governance, increasing access to high-quality healthcare, environmental sustainability, and promoting women’s rights and ending gender-based violence

The Foundation Scholars Program at Columbia University is a full-time, fully-funded leadership development program over an academic year at Columbia University, Obama Foundation Scholars deepen their knowledge and skills and build new capacities and networks to accelerate their impact in their home countries. Upon completion of the program, Obama Foundation Scholars, empowered by their experience, return to the regions where they have been working and continue along a path of service. 

Read Also: LEAP AFRICA Youth Leadership Programme Application 2021

Eligibility Requirements

The Obama Foundation Scholars Program at Columbia University seeks rising leaders from the United States and around the world who meet the following criteria:

• Are emerging leaders who have made meaningful contributions to their field and are now at a “breakthrough moment” in their careers
• Have a proven commitment to service and leadership within a community, region or country, coupled with a demonstrated commitment to return to these communities following their completion of the program and apply their enhanced training, skills, and connections on a long-term basis for the benefit of these communities
• Are fluent in English (verbal, written and spoken)
• Have the ability and inclination to positively shape the future of their community
• Have a demonstrated commitment to inclusivity, community orientation, hope, courage, imagination, strategy, accountability, integrity, and resilience

Scholars participate in an immersive program that brings together academic, skills-based and experiential learning, designed by Columbia University in consultation with the Obama Foundation. 

Key components of the program include 

• A Weekly Seminar that runs the length of the academic year, exploring questions in tandem with key global trends including inequality, technological developments, the diffusion of power, population movements, and climate change. 
• Personal and Professional Development Workshops designed to strengthen practical skills to enhance Scholars’ ability to lead. Previous workshop topics include conflict management and resolution, public speaking, data analysis and interpretation, and resilience.
• An Experiential Learning component that engages Scholars in the work of Columbia World Projects.
• Audited Coursework that provides Scholars with the flexibility to select and enrol in up to two graduate-level courses each semester at Columbia.
• A Thought Leadership Speaker Series that introduces Scholars to seasoned practitioners from the NGO community, philanthropy, government, and international organizations to expand Scholars’ networks and perspectives to help advance their work.
• Partnership with a Columbia faculty adviser selected for their subject matter expertise to provide Scholars with new insights and perspectives to inform Scholars’ work.
• Meaningful opportunities for Scholars to contribute to the intellectual life of the campus and gain exposure to different perspectives by engaging with the Columbia University community. 

Benefits

Scholars will receive:

• Monthly stipend to assist with living expenses in New York City
• A furnished studio apartment within walking distance of Columbia University, if the program can convene in person
• All tuition and fees for up to four courses at Columbia University
• Basic medical, dental and life insurance for the duration of the program in New York City, if the program can convene in person
• Air travel to and from home country and any program-related activities, if the program can convene in person

To learn more about this program, visit worldprojects.columbia.edu