On Saturday, January 18th, African Leadership Academy welcomed 21 new students to our campus. The arrival of this cohort, comprised of 20 Americans and one South African, marked the official start of ALA’s partnership with the School for Ethics and Global Leadership (SEGL).
SEGL, based in Washington D.C., offers semester-long residential study programs for high-achieving high school students. Since they opened their doors in 2009, the SEGL curriculum has emphasized ethical thinking skills, leadership development, and international affairs.
This new program, SEGL at ALA, offers students the chance to spend a semester living and learning alongside our two year Diploma Program students. During their time at ALA, the SEGL cohort will be deeply integrated into life at ALA, sharing dorm rooms and attending classes together with ALA students. Five ALA students will also be joining SEGL’s Ethics and Leadership class, engaging with topics such as media literacy, public policy, historical case studies, and more.
Mairéad O’Grady, the Director of SEGL at ALA, spent 7 years with SEGL in Washington, D.C. before moving to Johannesburg to lead the new program. Reflecting on the synergies between both organizations, she said, “There are lots of programs that talk about leadership, [SEGL and ALA] are two of the only ones that also talk about ethics.”
However, the alignment between SEGL and ALA goes even further. Like ALA, SEGL places a high value on diversity, and focuses on practical applications of leadership. Perhaps most important is the shared learning paradigm; student-centered, student-driven classrooms filled with young leaders who are seeking an exceptional education. With so much in common, we are thrilled to welcome the SEGL cohort to the ALA family.
When asked what she was most looking forward to with the official start of the program, Mairéad answered, “I’m most excited for the conversations…the small daily interactions that are going to make everyone grow.”
To learn more about The School for Ethics and Global Leadership, click here.
