Yale Young African Scholars Programme | Leaders of Today
Yale UniversityWorkshop
Yale Young African Scholars Programme
Jan 20, 2027 23:59:00 ET
Opportunity type
Workshop
Funding
Partially Funded
Location
Global
Deadline
Jan 20, 2027 23:59:00 ET
Age
Ages 14 to 18
About this opportunity
Yale Young African Scholars (YYAS) is a Yale University programme for African secondary school students in grades 10 and 11 who plan to go on to university and want to lead on the continent. In 2027 it runs as a six-day online College Prep Workshop (15 to 20 July) and a nine-day residential Leadership Summit in Rwanda (7 to 15 August), and each admitted student joins one of them. There is no tuition for either, and preference goes to high-achieving, low-income students without university guidance at school.
What you get:
No tuition for either programme; the online workshop is entirely free of charge
At the Rwanda Summit, free housing, meals and all academic materials
Free airport transport from Kigali International Airport to the host school for students flying in from outside Rwanda
A limited number of need-based Travel Grants for Summit admits who live outside Rwanda; every applicant is reviewed for one automatically
Guidance on university admissions and financial aid, including sessions with university representatives from North America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia
A YYAS Certificate of Completion to add to university applications
Access to the post-programme Pathways support (Launchpad and Compass) and a network of young leaders from across Africa
What you'll do:
Who can apply
Aged 14 to 18 on the first day of the programme, 15 July 2027 (typical participants are 16 to 17)
Citizen or permanent resident of an African country, or a refugee living in an African country
Currently attending school in an African country
A current grade 10 or 11 student, or the international equivalent
Northern Hemisphere schools: graduating no earlier than May/June 2028 and no later than May/June 2029. Southern Hemisphere schools: no earlier than November/December 2027 and no later than November/December 2028
Not in your final year or term of secondary school, not a graduate, and not a university student
Not a past YYAS or YYGS participant
Able to do rigorous academic work in English; no test score required
Apply online with one 400-word essay, two short responses, an activities list, transcripts or grade reports for each secondary year, and one teacher recommendation
Online workshop: you need Zoom on your own phone, tablet or computer with reliable internet
Residential Summit: you must be able to travel to Rwanda, and you arrange and pay for passport and visa yourself
AI Verification
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Cross-checked 10 of 12 key facts
Confirmed Our best read Not stated
Good to know
+Run by Yale University, with no tuition for either the online workshop or the residential summit in Rwanda
+Summit housing, meals and materials are free, and every applicant from outside Rwanda is automatically considered for a travel grant
+Priority for high-achieving, low-income students without university guidance at school, and no test score is required
Worth checking yourself
!Regular applications close 20 January 2027; the early round closes 20 October 2026
!Only for African citizens, permanent residents or refugees in grade 10 or 11 at a school in Africa, aged 14 to 18 on 15 July 2027
!Travel grants are limited, so you may have to pay for flights, passport and visa to Rwanda yourself
!You are admitted to one programme only, and you cannot miss any days
Grant
Yale UniversityWorkshop
Grant
Carnegie Mellon University Africa (CMU-Africa)
Grant
Gender and Justice (Bristol University Press)
