Leadership Academy
Why Participate?
- Gain experience in entrepreneurial skills and shape your career
- Improve your English skills
- Make new friends
- Learn to spot and capture opportunities with vision, resilience, and resourcefulness – qualities that are important for both your education and your career
- Have a chance to work on a team to develop and pitch your business idea
- Work directly with people behind small and large businesses
- Get expert guidance in creating a business/action plan, elevator pitches, and presentations
- Learn about American culture and explore Maine by enjoying a minor-league baseball game, spending a day at the beach on the Atlantic Ocean, kayaking one of Maine’s many lakes, rivers or the ocean, touring Portland Harbor and its gorgeous Casco Bay islands by ferry boat
BAFF offers this exciting scholarship as part of its mission to strengthen ties between the Baltics and the United States and to invest in the development of young Baltic leaders and entrepreneurs. Scholarship recipients will complete an innovative experiential three-week curriculum provided by CIEE: Council on International Educational Exchange through the Global Navigator High School Summer Program for Global Entrepreneurship.
This program will engage participants in the mindset, skills, and practices of successful entrepreneurs and industry leaders. All participants will create their own personal action plans and present them in a professional setting before implementing them upon return home. Participants will increase their self-confidence, improve communication skills, and practice leadership skills in informal and formal environments. Lectures and workshops will be held on the college campus, but there will also be fun sports and activities as well as relaxing down time to keep a good balance between fun and the professional environment of the course. At the conclusion of the program, participants will take a short tour of New York City and Washington, D.C. in order to complete their unforgettable American summer experience.
What you’ll receive:
- A certificate of learning in global entrepreneurship
- A final business presentation to share with your teachers at home
- Membership in the BAFF Leadership Academy Alumni Association
The Leadership Academy Scholarship includes:
- Room, board and travel while in the United States
- Round-trip international airfare
- Travel health insurance while in the United States, provided by CIEE
- Online pre-departure orientation course
- In-person orientation
- Participation in the three-week CIEE Global Navigator High School Summer Program for Global Entrepreneurship
- A five-day tour of New York and Washington, D.C. upon completion of the CIEE program
Scholarship Recipient and Parent Responsibilities:
- Participant and one parent must attend pre-departure orientation in Riga
- Cover ESTA (for Visa Waiver Program Travelers registering under ESTA)
- Participant must have pocket money for 4-weeks (approximately $300)
- Travel to and from Baltic departure airport
Who Can Participate?
Program Eligibility
Applicants to the Summer Leadership Academy must:
- Hold a passport from Estonia, Latvia, or Lithuania valid for international travel
- Be entering Grade 12 school year
- Be at least 16 on or before July 1 of the program year
- Have written and spoken English language proficiency sufficient to participate fully in the curriculum
- Have parental permission to apply and participate in the program
- Have no immediate family members who are BAFF employees or members of the BAFF Boards of Directors or Advisors
Scholarship Selection Criteria
Applicants will be selected based on, but not limited to, the following criteria:
- Commitment to applying new leadership and entrepreneurship skills
- Potential for contributions to school, community, and home country
- Demonstrated self-motivation and responsibility
- Ability to serve as a cultural ambassador
- Understanding of the BAFF mission
Dates & Deadlines
Applications Open
December 1
Application Deadline
March 11
Short-listed applicants will be invited for in-person interviews to be conducted in Tallinn, Riga, and Vilnius.
Interviews
April 8 - April 16
Takes place in Riga, Latvia.
Leadership Academy
July 7 – August 2
Apply
The current application round is closed.
Due to the technical complications, we apologize for any delays in notifying applicants of their results via email. At this point in time, all shortlisted candidates have been contacted and invited to interviews.
We thank you for your interest in our program, and encourage you to continue following BAFF events and opportunities.
- If you have any questions, please contact Denise Desrochers at baffinfo@ciee.org. The CIEE Staff in Portland, Maine, USA will be happy to answer any questions you have (please keep in mind the office hours: 9am-5pm EST).
- Or you may contact your country’s BAFF representative.
