Who is eligible to apply for the Gap Year Program?
African Leadership Academy seeks dynamic, motivated 17-19 year old leaders from around the world
who have completed high school and are thrilled at the prospect of an intense, 10-month
pre-university program in which they would build lasting friendships with Africa’s future leaders,
engage in deep study of the African continent, and design and implement a community service project
that will have a lasting impact on a community in need.
Where is the ALA campus? What is it like?
African Leadership Academy is located on the outskirts of Johannesburg, South Africa. Our safe,
world-class campus includes comfortable dormitories, a 350 seat auditorium, classrooms designed for
discussion-based learning, and a world-class design laboratory. Interested students may take a
virtual tour of the ALA campus on our website,
www.africanleadershipacademy.org.
Why is African Leadership Academy interested in having students from outside of Africa?
As business, politics, and society become increasingly global, Africa cannot afford to exist in
a vacuum separate from the rest of the world. We believe that development will be driven not only
by Africans living on the continent, but also by committed Africa-minded individuals from all over
the world who will share their unique perspectives in this international setting.
Who will I meet during my gap year experience?
This is perhaps the most exciting part of the ALA Gap Year! At African Leadership Academy you
will befriend the most outstanding young people from 54 African countries and around the world.
Like you, these young leaders will have already accomplished extraordinary things in their lives.
You might play a pick-up game of soccer with a young man from Kenya who founded and runs his own
dramatic arts organization to educate the community about HIV/AIDS, or live in a dorm room with a
young Zimbabwean woman who started a small-scale chicken and agricultural farm to support a needy
family of AIDS orphans in her neighborhood.
You will also have the incredible opportunity to meet and speak with high-profile leaders and
entrepreneurs that most people only dream of meeting. At ALA, you can share dinner with leaders
from a wide range of fields, including a high-profile CEO of a global company, a world-renowned
diplomat, a leading African author, or a documentary filmmaker.
What are some examples of the Culminating Service Project?
Students will design their own service projects in groups of up to three individuals, and they
are encouraged to design a project according to their own passions and interests. Outstanding
projects might include establishing a tutoring or athletics program at an elementary school in a
disadvantaged area; designing a better irrigation system for a farming community; or developing an
HIV/AIDS education program in an impoverished community. All Culminating Service Projects will be
supported
and advised by a member of the African Leadership Academy faculty.
What can I hope to gain from this experience?
At African Leadership Academy you will have endless opportunities to define your own experience
within our Gap Year Program. Students who have gone through our pilot summer programs report
feeling an exhilarating sense of self-confidence and empowerment to tackle future challenges and
continue making an impact. They have learned new languages, made friends from around the world, and
have discovered new interests.
What does the Gap Year Program cost?
The Gap Year program costs $30,000 USD, including tuition, room and board, extracurricular
activities and most school trips.
When does the program start? When does it finish? Is there a vacation period?
Students will arrive on campus on the first week of September 2008 and leave in late June 2009.
There will be a four week mid-year vacation in late December and early January, and short one-week
vacations in October and March in which students may live with a host family in South Africa or
join a school trip. In February 2009, gap year students will have the special opportunity to
participate in the ALA Grand Opening Celebration with dignitaries from around the world.
Can I choose to spend only part of my gap year at ALA?
The gap year program is designed for 10 months, as this enables students to maximize their
impact and complete their Culminating Service Project. Students desiring to spend a shorter time at
ALA may apply to the
term abroad program.
