The Yale Young African Scholars Program (YYAS) is a high-intensity academic and leadership program designed for African secondary school students who have the talent, drive, energy, and ideas to make meaningful impacts as young leaders, even before they begin their university studies.
Application Deadline: 6th February, 2018, at 11:59pm EST.
All applicants will receive an email with final admission decisions approximately 6 weeks after the application deadline.
Offered annually? Yes
Eligible Countries: African countries
To be taken at (country): Summer 2018 YYAS will be held in two locations, Rwanda and Ghana, and take place between late July and end of August.
Eligible Field of Study: Any
About the Award: The application for the 2018 Yale Young African Scholars (YYAS) Program is now available! Entering its fifth year, this intensive program brings together African secondary school students between the ages of 14–18 for a cost-free, intensive academic and residential program.
Administered by the Yale Young Global Scholars Program and building off that model of interdisciplinary academic curriculum, YYAS participants will attend lectures led by prominent Yale faculty, seminars developed by Yale student instructors, and experiential exercises designed to augment their leadership skills. Participants will engage in robust intellectual exchanges that are crucial to understanding Africa’s most pressing challenges and opportunities. In addition to the introduction to university application processes, Yale student-led courses and leadership training, YYAS also offers students standardized test preparation sessions at no cost to the students.
Type: Training/Short Courses
Eligibility:
YYAS does not accept applications from students in their final term of secondary school, from secondary school graduates, or from university students.
YYAS cannot accept applications from students who are younger than 14 years old by the application deadline.
Students who have attended YYAS previously are not eligible to reapply, but are encouraged to consider applying for the Yale Young Global Scholars Program. Click here to learn more.
A typical YYAS participant has:
- Excellent academic records
- Demonstrated leadership potential
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- A desire and ability to work cooperatively with peers
- Persistence and determination when facing challenges
- High standards of personal and professional conduct
- The ability to read, analyze, and reflect on large quantities of difficult material in English
- Interest in engaging in discussions about intellectual, moral, and political issues in Africa
Number of Awardees: Not specified
Value of Award: Fully-funded. To make the program accessible to students of all financial backgrounds, there is no cost for students to participate in YYAS. In addition, YYASoffers a limited number of travel grants for admitted students from low-income backgrounds and who demonstrate the need for financial assistance to offset the costs of airfare between African countries.
Duration of Program:
Rwanda: 29th July – 7th August 2018
Ghana: 11th – 20th August 2018
How to Apply: Access the 2018 online application
Visit Scholarship Webpage for details
Award Provider: Higherlife Foundation, Yale University