About Us > Five Distinctive Elements

Our Five Distinctive Elements

Merit-Based Entry
African Leadership Academy will admit a diverse student body without regard to the students’ race, gender, citizenship, religious affiliation, class, or family wealth. A multi-faceted selection process will ensure that talented students from all socioeconomic backgrounds have an opportunity to attend the Academy. Selection will be based on merit alone, and we anticipate that a majority of our students will receive financial assistance to attend the Academy.

Leadership Development
Leadership will be formally taught in the Academy’s curriculum with the goal of instilling a robust system of values in our students. Students will discover the traits of highly effective African leaders from case studies about leaders like Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf or Desmond Tutu. The Academy’s “Leadership Perspectives” speaker series will bring distinguished leaders from across the continent to share their experiences with students. Each student will also receive individual leadership coaching from his or her personal mentor, a mid-career professional who embodies the Academy values. Students will engage in various exercises and experiences designed to develop their interpersonal skills. And in their final year on campus, each student will be required to plan and execute a Culminating  Project that has a lasting positive impact on an African community.

Entrepreneurial Training
African Leadership Academy seeks to provide its students with the foundation and inspiration they will need to design innovative solutions to challenging problems and create entrepreneurial ventures on the African continent. Periodic “design challenges” will help student access their creativity to develop innovative solutions. Guest speakers will act as entrepreneurial role models and will help students gain the confidence required to one day embark upon their own entrepreneurial journeys. An annual business plan competition for seniors will motivate students to think about the types of organizations they someday want to create and lead. Finally, the Academy will have a variety of student-run enterprises (including the bookstore, theatre, and a café) on campus in which students will hone their entrepreneurial skills.

Pan-African Focus
At ALA, students will develop a deep understanding of the African experience. Such an understanding is essential if our future leaders are to learn from the successes and failures of the past. In our unique African Studies curriculum, students will study African history, literature, geography, and languages in order to develop an appreciation for Africa’s cultures and customs. The diversity within the student body will allow graduates to develop a network of peers from across the continent. These experiences will enable Academy graduates to think on a pan-African scale and function effectively across the continent.

Expertise in University and Career Placement
African Leadership Academy will help students gain admission to the world’s premiere universities and will provide students with expert guidance in navigating the university admissions process. We will ensure that our graduates have a strong chance of gaining admission to and scholarship assistance from leading global universities that best match their interests and needs. After students have left for university, the Academy’s careers office will maintain relations with graduates, alerting them to job opportunities and enabling them to build a career on the continent.