Deadline: January 1, 2019
Applications for the Obama Foundation Scholars Program 2019-2020 at the University of Chicago are now open! The Obama Foundation Scholars Program seeks to support dynamic, collaborative, rising leaders from around the world in an innovative one-year academic experience.
Obama Foundation Scholars at the University of Chicago will earn a Master of Arts degree focused on International Development and Policy at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy. In addition to classroom studies, the Obama Foundation will offer a robust program of leadership development and service activities throughout the academic year to help Scholars gain the real-world skills, tools, and experiences to expand the impact of their work when they return home.
These may include leadership development convenings; program experiences in New York and Washington, DC; speaker series with innovators across a variety of sectors; individual and group service projects; mentorship through the Obama Foundation network; potential internship placements; and action plan development for post-program activities. Some of these Foundation activities will include experiences throughout Chicago and the South Side. By engaging with the local community, students will have the opportunity to complement what they learn in the classroom and also to bring their unique perspectives to Chicago.
About the Obama Foundation Scholars Program
The Obama Foundation Scholars Program will give rising young leaders around the world who are already making a difference in their communities the opportunity to take their work to the next level through a newly designed curriculum that brings together academic, skills-based, and hands-on learning. The Scholars Program empowers individuals with a proven commitment to service with the tools they need to make their efforts more effective, to identify innovative solutions to complex global problems, and promote change through values-based leadership.
The Obama Foundation Scholars program gives rising young leaders around the world who are already making a difference in their communities the opportunity to take their work to the next level through a newly designed curriculum that brings together academic, skills-based, and hands-on learning at the University of Chicago and Columbia University.
The program will build lasting relationships among emerging leaders who are committed to working together to solve the most pressing challenges of our time, creating a global network that reaches across issues and borders. After completing the program, Obama Foundation Scholars will return to their communities and continue the important work they started in the program by implementing their own personalized action plan. They will also have an opportunity to play a role in the Obama Foundation’s efforts to inspire, train, and connect rising leaders from around the globe.
Eligibility
The Obama Foundation Scholars Program seeks a diverse cohort who represent a cross section of backgrounds including those working in government, the private sector, and NGOs and civil society organizations. Leaders may apply to both the University of Chicago and the Columbia University Scholars programs.
The University of Chicago Obama Foundation Scholars Program seeks rising leaders from around the world who meet the below criteria:
- Significant work experience and professional accomplishments with a clear trajectory of increasing impact.
- Demonstrated record of community service or working for the public good, either through a full-time professional role or significant engagement outside of primary employment.
- Possess a clear focus on a globally applicable challenge.
- A clear commitment to return to and reinvest your new skills in your community after the program concludes.
- Are fluent in English (verbal and written).
Application
Click here to apply. Also check out the Columbia University Scholars Program.
For more information, visit Obama Scholars Program.
