Emerging Leaders Program

At Acton we strive to curate a community of leaders from different spheres of society. To achieve this goal, it is crucial that we engage and form young leaders. Traditional values and morals seem to be increasingly shunned in our culture, and more so in our universities. But at Acton we find future leaders who will become champions of freedom and change the world as they rise to lead businesses, communities, and houses of worship. Much like our strategy with Acton University, each year Acton recruits college students from top universities around the world who have proven to be exemplary leaders on their campuses and in their personal lives. While we have many outstanding candidates, we hand-select the top 20 to go through our yearlong leadership-formation internship: the Emerging Leaders Program.

Objectives

In 2022 we had 19 students from eight countries represented. The program begins with an eight-week intensive summer program at Acton’s headquarters in Grand Rapids. These impressive young individuals spend the summer studying, discussing, and debating leadership and character development with Acton scholars, including Father Robert Sirico, Samuel Gregg, and Anthony Bradley.

In addition to thought-provoking and challenging lectures, each leader is an apprentice to our staff and receives hands-on think tank experience. From lessons in fundraising and research to educational programming, the participants walk away ready not only to succeed in their future careers but also to defend the free market, religion, and individual liberty.

In 2022 we expanded the program to a full academic year, continuing to support our students as they went back to their campuses. Each leader will continue to be mentored one-on-one by Acton staff and scholars, and will also attend Acton’s Leadership & Character Summit in the fall—a two-day conference in Grand Rapids for college students and young professionals.

There they will engage in discussions and lessons on character development and how best to navigate careers with virtue and morality.

After our Emerging Leaders return to their campuses, they continue to spread the truth and power of faith and liberty. We are so proud to walk alongside our student alumni as they grow into influential moral leaders in their career fields. Past Emerging Leaders can currently be found at Harvard Law and leading private schools, as well as managing programs at like-minded nonprofits.

Testimonials

“Not many experiences mark an epoch in the thought and inner life of an individual. The Emerging Leaders Program has been one such experience for me. Every person has taught me more than they will know, and I will hold on to those moments for my entire life.”

Michael Smith, 2021

“I have not only had the opportunity to come to Michigan and the Midwest for the first time, but I have also had the groundwork laid for a political base that will continue to guide me throughout my life. I plan to take back what I have learned this summer to my hometown and university, and will be a voice fighting for morality-based freedom for the rest of my life.”

Jeremy Ward, 2021

“As a Brazilian who recently graduated with a degree in economics, I must say that the best choice of my life so far was to apply for this program; nothing has impacted my life so positively. From the first to the last day of this program, we learned from the best. We learned academically during our intense days of lectures and seminars the ways to build a free and virtuous society, and we learned for our personal lives the importance of being free individuals sustained by religious principles. Learning and applying what we were taught in the program makes us leaders in our communities, which will impact many societies. This positive impact on so many lives would not be possible without donors’ support. So I thank you on behalf of all Emerging Leaders for making this program possible. We will be forever grateful for your trust in us.”

Matheus Cosso Resende, 2022

“The Emerging Leaders Program has been an intellectually enriching experience that has greatly expanded my knowledge and skills as a young professional. There were many times this summer I stopped and thought of how blessed I was to be part of a program such as this one. I was able to attend 25+ seminars and participate in Acton University. I read a plethora of articles and books that opened my eyes to new truths and perspectives. I want to thank our donors for their contributions to the Emerging Leaders Program, which has deepened my knowledge of what it means to ‘promote a free and virtuous society.”

Kate Kavanaugh, 2022

Stats

Candidates selected since 2017

Countries represented since 2017

Participants receiving scholarships since 2017

$ 215,589.68

Funds raised to host Emerging Leaders since 2019

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