YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

We Don't Do Simulations.

5:1

student to staff ratio at all of our Youth Development Programs.

$6.2

million dollars in scholarships awarded to our 2020 seniors.

254

professional mentors and experts.

10,546

lives changed around the globe.

2,076

student internships placed within the last 3 years.

For more than 15 years, Leadership Initiatives has partnered with outstanding high school students to gain real-world experience, explore future careers, and develop critical skills to create the next generation of leaders worldwide.

As a nonprofit, we are proud to offer in-person and online internships that impact the lives of students and the individuals they are partnered with.

Choose Your Internship Focus

OUR APPROACH

We believe that hands-on experience is the single most effective way for students to learn and explore their career goals. At the end of each program, students participate in actual court cases, diagnose real patients, design solutions to problems facing businesses, and address major problems in the developing world.

One of the greatest challenges for high school students is applying to college. To assist in the process, participants receive online one-on-one guidance from top college admissions experts. This meeting includes school selection assistance, application guidance, interview preparation, and private Q&A sessions.

While most summer programs only provide simulations and educational lectures, Leadership Initiatives prepares students for their future careers with resume-building experience that will help them stand out on college, internship, and job applications alike. With the help of our partners at University Connection, students walk away with a substantive and edited resume that sets them apart from their peers.

Our 2020 graduating seniors received over six million dollars in financial aid to attend college, and Leadership Initiatives works not only to help students prepare an impressive college application, but our Scholarship Assistance program helps students find, vet, and apply for scholarships with a high rate of return.

WHY INTERNSHIPS?

Internships show what it’s really like to work in their desired industry. This is a chance for students to figure out what roles and fields are the best fit for them. Interns are encouraged to ask questions and show a genuine interest in a variety of roles.

GAIN KNOWLEDGE OF THE FIELD

Most student jobs look for professional experience. Having an internship on your resume before entering college gives interns a leg up on the competition. Internships are the perfect way to enhance your resume through relevant experiences.

BUILD YOUR RESUME

Students gain first-hand exposure to working in the real world and allows students to harness the skill, knowledge, and theoretical practice. Learning is one thing, but taking skills into the workforce is a great way to explore career paths and specializations that suit individual interests.

CAREER EXPLORATION

KEY INDICATORS

The greatest measure of success for our YDP participants is college acceptance. 95% of our graduating seniors were accepted into college, and 70% into one of their top five schools.

Our programs do not end after the summer, and students work with Leadership Initiatives in our two-year International Internship Program, as well as through our academic benefits program.

Interns walk away with letters of recommendation and references for their future careers, and our past students have demonstrated the impact of our programs. Click here to talk to a former intern about how the program benefitted them.

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