Yale Young African Scholars Program to be held in Ghana & Ethiopia

The 2014 inaugural Yale Young African Scholars programs will be hosted by Yale University in Ghana (August 11-15, 2014) and Ethiopia (August 18-22, 2014).

The Yale Young African Scholars Program is a new initiative that is modeled off of the Yale Young Global Scholars Program. These sessions, in Ghana and Ethiopia, are the first sessions to take place outside of Yale’s campus in New Haven, Connecticut. These sessions are intended solely for African students attending secondary school on the African continent. 

The Yale Young African Scholars Program (YYAS) is a high-intensity five-day program designed for African students who will graduate from secondary school in 2015 or 2016, are 18 years or younger at the time of the program, and have the talent, drive, energy, and ideas to make meaningful impacts as young leaders, even before they begin their university studies. The Yale Young African Scholars Program is an official program of Yale University.

There is no cost to students to participate in the Yale Young African Scholars Program. Participants are, however, responsible for getting themselves to the venue at the outset of the program and their return home at the end of the program. Participants will also be responsible for any incidental expenses they elect to incur.

The programs will help students recognize and understand global issues, strategize responses, and innovate solutions while learning from Yale faculty and African undergraduate and graduate students who currently attend Yale. Students will participate in a lecture series and a number of elective seminars on a variety of topics. The demanding academic content is designed to improve students’ analytical thinking, intellectual flexibility, and written and oral communication skills. These skills will be further utilized in small workshops designed to prepare students for the demanding application processes of U.S. colleges and universities.

Accommodation will be provided for all students, along with class instruction, three meals a day, and in the case of the Ethiopia session, transportation from Addis to Debre Zeit. There is no cost for students to participate in the program.

Leadership Team: The YYAS Leadership Team is made up of a diverse group of African students at Yale University, including Helinna Ayalew of Ethiopia..

Helinna Ayalew is from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Washington, D.C. She is a second year Masters student in African Studies, where she focuses on identity conflicts in the Horn of Africa. She spent her summer doing research along the border of Ethiopia and Kenya. While an undergraduate student at Macalester College, she lived and studied in Cape Town, South Africa and Maastricht, The Netherlands. Helinna enjoys traveling, singing, and spending time with friends and family.

Location

The Ethiopian Management Institute, Debre Zeit campus, is located in Debre Zeit, Ethiopia – 45 kilometers from Addis Ababa. The campus offers lush gardens and a quiet environment, perfect for fostering the minds of young scholars. In addition to several classrooms and auditoriums, the venue has a library and dining area on site. It is in close proximity to the city’s seven crater lakes and enjoys abundantly warm weather. Students will stay in double rooms, with two participants in each room. Each room has a private bathroom.

The application deadline, which was originally set for May 9th has been extended to May 16, 2014 – Download the application here

This extension applies to all applicants. All materials (application form, evaluation form, and transcript) must be submitted by 16 May 2014 to african.scholars@yale.edu.

Visit website:  Yale Young African Scholars Program