Leadership
Academy

WHY PARTICIPATE?

  • Learn to spot and capture opportunities with vision, resilience, and resourcefulness – qualities that are important for both your education and career

  • Improve your English skills

  • Make new friends

  • Have a chance to work with a team to develop and pitch your innovative idea

  • Get expert guidance in creating an action plan, elevator pitch, and presentation

  • Learn about American culture and experience some of Maine’s natural wonders by spending a day at the beach on the Atlantic Ocean, hiking a mountain trail, or touring Portland Harbor and its gorgeous Casco Bay islands by ferry boat

 
 
BAFF Leadership Academy

BAFF Leadership Academy participants on a visit to the Central Park, NY, 2019

BAFF offers this exciting scholarship as part of its mission to strengthen ties between and among Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, 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.

This program will engage participants in concepts of idea generation, design thinking, the entrepreneurial mindset, innovation, sustainability, business models, and leadership development. The program will include a capstone challenge that allows students to work in teams, gain practical experience, and demonstrate their learnings. Participants will increase their self-confidence, improve communication skills, practice leadership in informal and formal environments, and build meaningful relationships with their peers.

Lectures and workshops will be held on a college campus in Maine. In addition to the formal curriculum, there will also be a variety of activities as well as relaxing downtime 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 and Washington to complete their unforgettable American summer experience.

Participation in Summer 2024 BAFF Leadership Academy is based on CIEE Health & Safety requirements in order to ensure a safe experience for all. All activities are subject to change.

THE SCHOLARSHIP INCLUDES

  • Round-trip international airfare

  • Dormitory accommodation, meals, and travel while in the United States

  • Travel health insurance while in the United States, provided by CIEE

  • Online pre-departure orientation course

  • In-person orientation

  • Participation in the BAFF Leadership Academy course

  • Field trips, outings, and activities with like-minded Baltic peers

 
BAFF Leadership Academy participants on a visit to U.S. Capitol, Washington D.C., 2023

BAFF Leadership Academy participants on a visit to the U.S. Capitol, Washington D.C., 2023

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

  • Applicants to the Summer Leadership Academy must:

    • Hold a passport from Estonia, Latvia, or Lithuania valid for international travel

    • Be Grade 11 student and be entering Grade 12 for the 2024/2025 school 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

    • Must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19

  • Applicants will be selected based on, but not limited to, the following criteria:

    • Commitment to applying new leadership and innovation 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.

  • • 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 four weeks (approximately $300)

    • Travel to and from Baltic departure airport.

PLEASE READ THE 2024 Terms and Conditions

English

Estonian Latvian Lithuanian

2024 LEADERSHIP ACADEMY
JULY 8 - 31, 2024

Topic: Leading in an AI World

Artificial Intelligence (AI) will impact almost every aspect of life from education to business to healthcare in the next decade. You will learn how leaders prepare for and navigate this AI world. As part of your program, you will assess your own leadership styles, learn the basic frameworks for leadership decision-making, discuss the ethics of AI and our social responsibilities, understand the technologies that AI is driving, and create solutions to real-world challenges using AI. This program will also teach you ways to better design solutions using the design thinking framework. During the program you will learn to use variety of experiential learning techniques to support your understanding and practice.

In the end of the program you’ll receive:

  • A CIEE certificate of learning

  • A final capstone project to share with your teachers at home

  • Membership in the BAFF Alumni Association

Dates & Deadlines

Application Opens
November 20, 2023

Application Deadline
January 20, 2024

Decision Notification
May, 2024

Orientation for participants and one parent
(mandatory event)
June 1, 2024