Fully Funded Summer Program by Hansen Leadership Institute in USA

A summer fellows program is a short-term on-campus program offered usually at institutions of higher education, to give students a taste of what student life would be like at the hosting institution. Many offer a mixture of academic and social content, courses taught by tenured professors, and even an opportunity to earn credit. Summer fellows programs provide a fun way to discover college life and an enriching summer experience.

Summer programs usually include classroom instructions and outdoor activities such as visiting historic and recreation sites, research institutes as well as attending national festivals or cultural events in the area where the summer program takes place.

Many institutions of higher education and other organizations around the world offer summer programs. Some of these summer programs even come with scholarships or other funding opportunities for its participants. One of these kinds of summer fellows programs is the Hansen Leadership Institute.

If you are an undergraduate or graduate student who is seeking for an opportunity to have a life-changing experience in the United States of America, you should certainly consider applying for the Hansen Leadership Institute. Keep reading to get to know everything about the Hansen Leadership Institute!

About Hansen Leadership Institute

Previously known as the Hansen Summer Institute for Leadership and International Cooperation, the Hansen Leadership Institute is an international program for international and U.S. students to build leadership skills and broaden cultural knowledge. Hansen Leadership Institute is funded by a generous grant from the Fred J. Hansen Foundation. The Institute provides a unique university-based leadership experience and program in international cooperation. It is intended to encourage young scholars to spend their summer free time to create lasting friendships within the international community that the Institute has created, and acquire skills and knowledge that will promote a more peaceful world.

For the second year in a row, the Hansen Leadership Institute has been named one of the Top 10 Summer Fellowships according to the ProFellows’s database. The database lists summer fellowships for people of all backgrounds, disciplines, and career stages in the United States and abroad.

The Hansen Leadership Institute is not like any other leadership summit or conference. The Institute’s phenomenal planning team do an extraordinary job at identifying the skills and competences that are necessary for the aspiring young leader to be significant in today’s rapidly changing world.

The Hansen Leadership Institute takes place at the University of San Diego in California. The program is held every year in July and lasts for three weeks – bringing together 5 outstanding American male and female students and 20 young students from a variety of developing countries and regions of social strife.

Students who participate in the Hansen Leadership Institute will receive an immersive learning experience around themes of peace-building, social entrepreneurship and leadership. The program includes hands-on training in team building, public speaking, negotiation, mediation and working together to solve international problems. Besides practical training, the program also includes classroom instruction and training complementing local excursions to San Diego historical attractions and cultural events such as 4^th of July parade, a Padres baseball game, and a harbor cruise.

At the end of three intense weeks of concept development, prototyping and strategy planning, student teams will compete in a ‘Shark Tank’ styled pitch competition for seed funding of between $500 and $10,000.

Upon completion of the program, these students join a family of Hansen Alumni who remain in contact via a variety of social networking sites and projects funded by the Hansen Foundation.

Call for Application

The Hansen Leadership Institute will host its next group of leaders in July 2020 at the University of San Diego School of Leadership and Education Sciences (SOLES).

Applications for the 2020 Hansen Leadership Institute program have been opened since September 20, 2019. The application deadline date for international students is January 15, 2020 at 11:00 PM (PST Time Zone). For U.S. citizens, applications must be submitted by March 15, 2020 at 11:00 PM (PST Time Zone).

For questions about the application, contact Brad Frazier at bfrazier@sandiego.edu.

Eligibility Requirements

The program is open to both undergraduate and graduate students from developing countries and regions around the world as well as the U.S. Although so, there are eligibility requirements that need to be met by applicants of the Hansen Leadership Institute. Successful applicants must demonstrate leadership potential by having worked outside of class in community service, another public service, or in a non-governmental organization. A letter of reference from such group or organization is required for the application. Other eligibility requirements include the following:

• Non-U.S. Students
  • Upper division undergraduate with 2 years of college or university, or a graduate student with a professional interest in international relations, diplomacy, international economic development or related studies.
  • Applicants must be between the ages of 20-25 on July 1, 2020.
  • Have demonstrated leadership potential outside of the classroom, in the community, nation or region.
  • Have an academic advisor verify the applicant’s English proficiency.
  • Have a valid international passport with U.S. visa if necessary by the time the program begins.

Preference may be given to applicants who have never visited the United States before but all qualified students are encouraged to apply.

• U.S. Students (Students from any university in the United States)
  • Upper division undergraduate with 2 years of college or university, or a graduate student with a professional interest in international relations, diplomacy, international economic development or related studies.
  • Applicants must be between the ages of 20-25 on July 1, 2020.
  • Have demonstrated leadership potential outside of the classroom, in the community, nation or region.

All participants of the Hansen Leadership Institute must attend the entire program. Participants are not allowed to arrive late of leave early.

How to Apply

Applications must be made online through the Hansen Leadership Institute website. Once you’ve opened the website, click on ‘Apply Now’ and log-in to create an account and begin completing the online application.

Your application will only be reviewed by the selection committee after you have completed the application (100% in all sections, including transcripts and letters of reference).

Application Tips

Don’t stress; find a healthy way to be part of the Hansen Leadership Institute. Here you are given some tips on how to succeed in your application for the program.

• Recommendation Letter

As part of the application process, you will be required to upload the details of two referees to provide a recommendation for you to participate in the program, on your behalf. There are two types of referees in this process:

• • Academic Referee
  • Non-Academic Referee (from an NGO or similar organization)

Do not make the mistake of leaving this part of the application until the last minute. Contact you referees right away and give them as much time as they need to make the most of the recommendation letter. Let them get to know you and your potentials in which can boost up your opportunity of being selected for the Hansen Leadership Institute fellows program. Make sure your referee submits the recommendation letter in time.

• Academic Transcript

Do not fuss or worry if you’re not an A-student. The purpose of your academic transcript is to show that you are a student with solid academics capable of juggling the demands of the program and any potential effect it could have on your normal calendar year.

• Essay Questions

This is the most critical part of the application process. Your essay plays a big role in determining whether you win or lose the place to participate in the program. Essay styles differ from person to person, and each person is a unique individual with a special story. Here are some tips on how to make a great unique essay:

• • Be truthful. Be as expressive and as passionate as you can.
  • Always assume the reader of the essay knows nothing about your region or country. So, paint the picture of ills in your society and what you’re doing about it.
  • Don’t be modest, but keep it authentic.

Cost and Funding of the Program

The Hansen Leadership Institute program is fully funded by the Fred J. Hansen Foundation. Financial support includes international airfare, room and board, and all programmatic costs. If selected the only cost to participants will be the fees incurred in obtaining a passport, a U.S. visa, and spending money.

Fellows of the Hansen Leadership Institute will be provided the following support:

• Accommodation and meals for the duration of the program, with shared rooms with participants of the same gender
• Transportation to and from the campus to all meetings and activities
• Program materials
• Certificate of Participation
• Round trip international air travel from the participant’s home town to San Diego, California
• Student and Exchange Visitor (SEVIS) fee
• Health insurance for the duration of the program
• An excursion to San Diego historical attractions and cultural events

Contact

The Hansen Leadership Institute is situated on the University of San Diego Campus in the School of Leadership and Education Sciences (SOLES).

Starting from October 2019, due to the change of name from the Hansen Summer Institute on Leadership and International Cooperation (HSI) to the Hansen Leadership Institute (HLI), the Institute will have a new website that goes with its new name.

For more information and inquiry, feel free to make contact with the Hansen Leadership Institute during working hours.

Address: 5998 Alcala Park

San Diego, CA 92110-2492

Phone: 619-260-7546

Fax: 619-849-8195

Email: hansensummerinstitute@gmail.com