The Yale Young African Scholars Program (YYAS) is a high-intensity academic and leadership program designed for African secondary school students with the talent, drive, energy, and ideas to make meaningful impacts as young leaders, even before they begin their university studies.
Entering its NINETH year, this intensive program brings together African secondary school students between the ages of 14–18 for a cost-free, intensive academic and residential program.
Administered by the Yale Young Global Scholars Program and building off that model of interdisciplinary academic curriculum, YYAS participants will attend lectures led by prominent Yale faculty, seminars developed by Yale student instructors, and experiential exercises designed to augment their leadership skills. Participants will engage in robust intellectual exchanges crucial to understanding Africa’s most pressing challenges and opportunities. In addition to the introduction to university application processes, Yale student-led courses and leadership training, YYAS also offers students standardized test preparation sessions at no cost.
Participants will enhance their academic skills, receive guidance on university admissions and career path options, and join a network of young leaders from across Africa. Following the program, students will be paired with mentors who will advise them throughout the university application process. There is no tuition cost for students to participate in YYAS.
Eligibility Criteria
- Age: You must be between the ages of 14-18 years old on 18 July 2024 in order to be considered. Please note that a typical YYAS student is between the ages of 16-17.
- English: You must be able to participate in a rigorous academic curriculum conducted in English.
- Citizenship: You must be a citizen or permanent resident of an African country. YYAS will also accept applications from refugees living in an African country.
- School location: You must currently attend school in an African country.
- Grade Level: You must be a current 11th-grade student (or the international equivalent).
- Graduation date: If you attend school in the Northern Hemisphere, you must be graduating secondary school by earliest May/June 2025 and no later than May/June 2026. If you attend school in the Southern Hemisphere, you must be graduating secondary school by earliest November/December 2024 and no later than November/December 2025.
If you are currently in your final year or term of secondary school, have already graduated secondary school, or are a university student, then you are NOT eligible to apply.
If you are a YYAS or YYGS alumnus/a, you may NOT apply for YYAS. (*However, if you are a YYAS alumnus/a, you can apply to YYGS if eligible.)
Offered Benefits
To make the program accessible to students of all financial backgrounds, there is no cost for students to participate in YYAS.
Duration of Program:
- YYAS College Prep Workshop (online; 5 days): 18-23 July 2024
- YYAS Leadership Summit (residential in Zimbabwe; 10 days): 9-18 August 2024
