Developing global citizenship through travel

Since 2015, the Leadership Collective has provided fully funded opportunities for high school students from the United States to engage in transformative international experiences in India. Our immersive programs foster global citizenship, leadership skills, and cross-cultural understanding.

In 2017, we expanded our reach to include students from across India, and by 2018, we welcomed participants from South Africa and Nepal, leveraging Learning Management Technologies to enhance engagement, learning outcomes, and collaboration. One of our biggest milestones came in 2019, with the inclusion of students from Syria, Lebanon, Bulgaria, Mexico, Madagascar, and U.S. students with diverse international backgrounds. The incredible diversity of perspectives enriched the program in meaningful ways.

In 2020, we extended our reach to students from Afghanistan, Cuba, and Kenya. Although the pandemic put our operations on pause, we proudly resumed in 2023, fulfilling our commitment to the 2020 cohort with their long-awaited experience in India. In 2024, we relaunched the program with a new group of international students, reinvigorating our mission and expanding our impact.

Each year, the Leadership Collective focuses on a theme that connects global youth leadership with pressing global issues, particularly climate change. In 2025, our theme is Climate Citizenship, exploring how young people can take meaningful action to combat climate challenges. We believe empowering youth with the skills and confidence to drive change equips them to become active and impactful global citizens.

To gain a deeper understanding of the transformative experiences offered by the Leadership Collective, check out our Student Profile videos. Apply through the link at the top of this page.

Explore + Experience + Express

Leadership Collective itineraries are immersive. They are designed and built by a team with deep roots in local communities and a multi-dimensional understanding of the places visited and from which we learn. Bringing together homestays, cultural sites, community, businesses, and civic leaders, we work in a peer-based setting to explore, understand, and challenge students place in the world. We use a model of study, serve, share to engage students, enabling them as critical thinkers and engaged global citizens.

What does it entail?

There are three parts to the Leadership Collective:

  1. Pre-Departure Classroom — a four-month virtual prep period that focuses on remotely engaging the student cohort in conversation and collaboration as well as building a common foundation for the trip theme and time in India.
  2. In-Country Experiential Trip— a period of experiential learning in India where students learn hands-on skills, interact with host families and youth, and study various facets of youth citizenship and leadership over the course of three plus weeks.
  3. Post-Trip Engagement — beyond the five month formal engagement, students share their learnings with their home communities, connecting their experiences in the Leadership Collective with their lives at home, and continue alumni connections.

Impact Report

In 2019, Dr. Tera Meerkins accompanied the Leadership Collective to India as part of a study in counseling psychology at Boston College. Additionally, her team analyzed data from previous trips and created: Leadership Collective Outcomes and
Facilitators of Change for Learners: An Evaluative Report for Cohorts 2016 to 2018

Who should participate?

A Leadership Collective student is a leader. They are curious. They are critical thinkers. They are frequently persevering boldly. They are creators. They are explorers. They are excited about their role in the future. Leadership Collective students are burgeoning change agents.

The Leadership Collective is geared toward students who otherwise face restrictive barriers to experiential education and international travel. Whether it be financial, social, or personal, we create support systems necessary to help a student thrive in an international experience, preparing them for a lifetime of global leadership. The program is fully-funded for all students participating.