African Leadership Academy

The African Leadership Academy (ALA) is a residential, secondary institution located in the outskirts of Johannesburg, South Africa for 15–18 year-olds, from all 54 African nations and around the world.

Founded in 2004 by Fred Swaniker, Chris Bradford, Peter Mombaur, and Acha Leke,[1] ALA officially opened in September 2008 with an inaugural class of 97 students.[2] To achieve this goal, ALA teaches a two-year curriculum in African Studies and Entrepreneurial Leadership, as well as the usual academic core subjects.

History

The founders of ALA, around 2004 launched Global Leadership Adventures, a summer program that would be a precursor to ALA.

In 2006, Swaniker and Bradford were recognized, by Echoing Green, who described them as two of the 15 best emerging social entrepreneurs in the world.[3] In 2007 the initial campus was confirmed, and Christopher Khaemba was announced as the inaugural Dean of the School.

ALA campus

The campus is located in Honeydew, on the outskirts of Johannesburg. Students share a dormitory, and there are modern facilities including a sports field, 350 seater auditorium, classrooms and dining hall. In 2014, construction began on new dormitories that will allow ALA to increase student numbers in 2015.

Admission process

Selection criteria

The African Leadership Academy uses five criteria for admission:[4]

Curriculum

The Academic core (A-Level)

The academic core combines interdisciplinary study in the first year with tailored study, according to individual interests, in the second year. At the end of the second year, students take exams in at least three subjects at A Level.[5]

Entrepreneurial Leadership and African Studies

ALA's Entrepreneurial Leadership curriculum is a cornerstone of the student experience that creates opportunities to practice leadership and entrepreneurship skills through simulation and project-based learning. In the interdisciplinary African studies curriculum, students study hunger eradication, health care provision, economic growth, and conflict resolution.

The Culminating Project

The Culminating Project requires the student to utilise the knowledge and skills gained over two years on campus. Each student designs, implements and presents a culminating project intended to have a lasting impact on an African community.

Faculty

Inaugural Dean of African Leadership Academy

Dean Christopher Situma Khaemba was previously Principal of Alliance High School on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya. A former military officer and physics teacher, Khaemba has served as a school leader for the past 12 years.

Faculty members

Faculty members go through a process that includes multiple interviews, academic background checks, and verification of personal and professional references. After the first round of interviews, the prospective teacher conducts a mock lesson in the presence of students and two faculty members. This is followed by a final round of interviews.

All faculty members are graduates from universities; most notably Harvard, Yale, Cambridge and Stanford;[6] and have previously taught at leading institutions.

Student life

Sports

Students are encouraged to participate in a fitness activity.However sport is not a strong part of the Academy, neither is it done competitively nor invested in as other aspects of ALA.

Student clubs and organizations

Students participate in a variety of clubs, and each student is expected to create or run either a "Student Enterprise", an "Original idea for Development" or a "Community Service Project".

Student Enterprise Programmes (SEPs)

The student-run businesses only operate on campus, and include:


Community service projects

ALA students are involved in local schools and communities through Community Service Projects (CSPs). Projects include tutoring programs on campus and community clean-up campaigns. CSPs tend to be multi-year projects that get managed by successive students.

Current CSPs include:

Original Ideas for Development

Original Ideas for Development (OIDs), are projects that have a wide scope and run beyond the students' time at ALA. Current OIDs include:

Supervised trips

Students explore the local community, Africa, and the world,[10] by participating in an excursion program. Outdoors enthusiasts participate in weekend hiking trips in the Drakensberg mountains and longer excursions during holiday periods, while scientists may apply to attend the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference in the United States.

Summer Program

The Academy offers high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors, from across the world, the opportunity to apply to spend three weeks of their summer as Global Scholars.

Advisors

As well as the Board of Governors, the Academy’s Board of Advisors is composed of African and global luminaries in business, leadership development, secondary education, and social entrepreneurship. The Advisory Board provides strategic input and guidance to the ALA management team.

African Leadership Foundation

The African Leadership Foundation is a USA 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation that supports the African Leadership Academy and the next generation of African leaders.

References

  1. ↑ Official Site
  2. ↑ Mission Statement
  3. ↑ Echoing Green
  4. ↑ Admission Requirements
  5. ↑ CIE website
  6. ↑ Stanford University
  7. ↑
  8. ↑
  9. ↑ GSIE site
  10. ↑ Financial Mail

Additional sources