Deadline: April 15, 2020 00:00 CEST| Apply here
[Oops, the opportunity has already expired. Sign up to AlphaGamma weekly newsletters to stay ahead of the game]
Dates: July 22-29, 2020
Eligibility: Undergraduate and postgraduate students, under 25 years old
Participation fee: starting from EUR 450,- (scholarships available)
Location: Poiana Brasov, Romania

Aspire Academy Summer Program 2020

Aspire was founded in Romania 10 years ago by five Harvard, Princeton, Stanford and other Ivy League graduates.

Aspire Academy offers leadership and entrepreneurship programs and so much more to young leaders around the world.

Its regular speakers are professors from Harvard and other top schools from the US and Europe.

Who should apply

Dedicated to deeply-motivated and distinctive students, it is specifically designed to encourage participants to pursue their passions and create an energetic, proactive community with common interests and values.

The mission of Aspire Academy is to discover, develop and connect outstanding young people, who have a proven track record of leadership in the domains they activate in. Aspire Academy inspires and empowers over 1000 alumni to find their true life goals and bring their contribution to the society’s development.

An eight-day program takes place every July at Ana Hotels in Poiana Brasov and is dedicated to undergraduate and postgraduate students. Each and every one of our 45 participants is an outstanding individual who is either already or well on their way to affecting change in their community and beyond.

How the program works

The academy is based on four fundamental pillars:

• Leadership – A mix of engaging case studies and interactive sessions with leaders from various professional fields
• Personal development – Communication and self-development sessions paired with self-awareness team-based projects which offer participants the opportunity to discover the factors that motivate and drive them
• Entrepreneurship – Lectures on how to build a start-up, discussions with the most successful regional entrepreneurs and a business plan competition
• Networking with Aspire alumni – Formal and non-formal networking sessions between the participants themselves, as well as Aspire alumni

The program also enables the Aspire participants to engage with notable speakers across key sectors and:

• Discover how to meticulously set goals and create a plan to achieve them
• Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of your leadership style, your professional objectives and what it means to build a successful career
• Understand entrepreneurship and the positive impact you can have in the world
• In addition to lectures and workshops, participants have multiple opportunities to connect and form life-long relationships.

What you will learn

Here are a few examples of how will benefit from attending the program:

• Understanding the art and science of communication
• Discovering leadership through Tango
• Outdoor team-building competitions

A glimpse of the lectures and workshops led by professors from Harvard and Stanford

• Authentic Leadership Development
• Strategic planning
• Design Thinking
• Business and ethics

Qualities of an ideal candidate

• Demonstrated leadership track: You should be genuinely committed to bringing about positive change in your community, school and respective country, be it through entrepreneurship, policy, student clubs, NGOs, sports, or others.
• Intellectual maturity and academic excellence: Aspire is not looking for candidates with perfect scores, but for those who can prove that progress, ambition and hard-work are part of their day to day life. Candidates demonstrate a high level of intellectual curiosity, are committed to learning and discovering and show passion for a particular field.
• Emotional maturity: Candidates must be willing to connect with their peers and open up to discussions, debates, and storytelling. They must demonstrate an ability to purposefully engage with others in ways that help foster a climate of mutual understanding and support.
• Driven personality: Aspire students show a willingness to go outside their comfort zone, take risks and learn from them. Young people who have demonstrated energy and determination during both individual and group projects and assignments are encouraged to apply.
• Last but not least, it is imperative that applicants have a strong command of English, as the program is entirely English-based.

Scholarships

Aspire Academy offers some partial and full scholarships to the participants who prove a real need for financial support. Once you receive an offer from the Academy, you will be able to submit an application for financial support.

You will be asked to send a few documents and to answer some questions in order to support your motivation for requesting the scholarship. Also, If you are from Ukraine, Armenia, the Republic of Moldova or Georgia, you can apply for special scholarships covering travel costs, as well as the participation fee.

Interested in applying for the Aspire Academy Summer Program 2020? Register your participation by following the registration link and taking the suggested steps.

For more opportunities, check our opportunities section and subscribe to our weekly newsletters.