Overview
The Social Impact Leadership Accelerator is a 4-month team-based training and project development course for social impact leaders who are looking for tools, structure, and support to turn their big ideas into a sustainable project. Through interactive training sessions with other teams across Asia and the US, independent team tasks, and individualized coaching, team members learn how to:
- Collaborate effectively as a team
- Identify their target community and project goals
- Develop impact-driven programs with effective evaluation plans
- Communicate their value to community stakeholders and funders
The Accelerator is part of VIA’s larger vision of an interconnected global community of project teams, startups, and nonprofit organizations all working towards positive social impact.
Program Costs
The team participation fee is $5,000 USD (regardless of the number of team members)
Please review our Payment and Participation Policies
What’s included:
- 40+ hours of training and support from VIA staff and team fellows over the course of 4 months
- Coaching in team-building and professional development
- Individualized feedback and coaching sessions for project elements
- Access to an online platform and training resources
- Post-accelerator project support and community networking opportunities
- Participants must have reliable access to a computer or mobile device with a camera and microphone and internet
Application Timeline
Priority Application Timeline
US Dates
- Application Deadline: January 12, 2025
- Application Review: January 13-17
- Online Interviews: January 20-24
- Results: January 24
- Confirm Participation: January 31
Final Application Timeline
US Dates
- Application Deadline: February 2, 2025
- Application Review: February 3-9
- Online Interviews: February 10-21
- Results: February 21
- Confirm Participation: February 28
Program Timeline
There will be three weekly 2-hour calls in March. In April and May, six 2-hour calls will be held on a roughly bi-weekly schedule. At least one team member should attend; all team members are highly encouraged to attend all calls.
All-Cohort Calls* (all in US Pacific Time)
*Dates are tentative and subject to change
- March 14, 7pm-9pm PDT
- March 21, 7pm-9pm PDT
- March 28, 7pm-9pm PDT
- 3-week holiday break
- April 25, 7pm-9pm PDT
- May 2, 7pm-9pm PDT
- May 9, 7pm-9pm PDT
- May 16, 7pm-9pm PDT
- 1-week break for teams to work on their projects and assignments independently
- May 30, 7pm-9pm PDT
- June 6-14: Speaker Series – Accelerator teams present their projects
- June 20, 7pm-9pm PDT: Celebration Call
Eligibility Requirements
Who should apply: The Social Impact Leadership Accelerator is ideal for aspiring and active social impact leaders in the US and Asia (other locations will also be considered). Many teams focus on projects related to education, training, professional development, and leadership development, but other program topics are welcome.
To participate effectively, we strongly recommend:
- Teams have at least three members (3-5 is an ideal team size)
- Most team members are comfortable with learning, discussing, and presenting in English (if all team members are not able to participate in English, then the English-speaking team member(s) may have to do a bit more work to support their team’s participation)
- Each team member can commit at least three hours per week to participate in accelerator activities
- Team members are comfortable with online learning and collaboration tools
Application Content
To see if this program is a good fit for you, your project, and your team, we want to get to know you better: your vision, motivation, and interests that brought you to the accelerator and what you hope to gain from this experience. The first section, Team Information, should be completed for the whole team. In the second section, the person completing the application should be prepared to provide details for each team member.
Section 1: Team Information
Discuss these questions with your teammates, and then designate one member to start the application.
- Primary Team Contact – Name and email address
- Organization or Team Name
- Short Essay Questions
- Community Challenges – Describe the main challenge that your team hopes to address in your community. How does this problem impact you and others in your community?
- Community Vision – Describe how you hope your community will be after this challenge has been addressed. For example, “In five years, young women will be empowered to…”
- Team Goals – As a team, what is your experience working together so far? How do you hope to strengthen your teamwork and relationships with each other through participating in this program?
- Team Member Availability – This program is a 4-month time commitment and at least one team member should be present at each all-cohort call. If your team misses more than one all-cohort call without prior notice, it may impact your ability to receive a certificate of completion. Please share any other personal/academic/professional commitments each team member might have during the program, and how you would plan to balance these commitments while participating in the program.
- Team Program Fee – VIA is committed to supporting aspiring social impact leaders regardless of their financial circumstances. We are offering financial need-based discounts and ask that you self-identify your current financial capacity. Assuming your team members and/or organization will share the cost of the program fee, what amount would be feasible given your personal and team / organizational financial situation?
- $0 (program fee waived) – Financially struggling. Your team has little savings, and spending some of your income on this program fee would significantly impact your personal budgets.
- $1000 ($4000 discount) – Financially stretched. Your team could spend some of your income or savings, but it would mean giving up other things for a limited time.
- $3000 ($2000 discount) – Financially comfortable. Your organization can partially fund your participation fee and/or your team members have some additional income or savings to spend for a limited time.
- $5000 (full program fee) – Financially thriving. Your organization can fund your participation fee and/or your team members have enough additional income or savings to spend without impacting your daily lives.
- [Financial Assistance Applications Only] Teams requesting financial assistance will be required to submit two additional components in addition to the main team application:
- Paying it Forward – We hope that the financial need-based discount is an opportunity to jumpstart community impact projects for teams that have a limited financial capacity. How would you use this support to “pay it forward” in the future when your organization or team is more financially secure?
- Recommendation Letter – A recommendation letter must be submitted on your behalf from a VIA alum, or from your academic, community, or professional contexts. Family members MAY NOT provide a recommendation letter. Recommendation letters must be emailed directly from the letter writer to yuki|at|viaprograms.org by the application deadline. See further instructions below.
Number of Team Members – Indicate the number of members on your team. The following section will repeat for the number of team members indicated.
General
Why should I join the Accelerator?
Teams join the accelerator for a variety of reasons: to develop a project or program they have already been working on as an organization, to gain an understanding of social impact design tools and steps through experience, or to provide a solution to an issue they have noticed in their community. If you feel that you have (1) a project idea that clearly addresses a need in your community, (2) a dedicated and collaborative team, (3) curiosity towards project management and social impact design skills, and (4) desire to join an experiential learning community—you should join the accelerator!
Who is best suited to join the Accelerator?
Teams and organizations who desire to make an impact on their community and are interested in developing sustainable solutions in partnership with global peers.
Is there a participation age limit or minimum education requirement?
We welcome participants 18 years and older who are in university, graduate school, have just started working, and others who have been working for some time.
What English level should I have?
We ask that participants are comfortable communicating (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) in English. However, you do not need to have perfect English.
Does VIA offer financial support if our team cannot afford the program fee?
VIA is committed to supporting aspiring social impact leaders regardless of their financial circumstances. VIA offers a sliding scale for the program fee and asks teams to self-identify their current financial status. Teams are not required to show any proof of their financial status.
Should I have a project idea before joining?
You do not need to have a fully developed project idea, but you should have an idea of the kind of impact you want to make on your community. The accelerator program will help you and your team develop your idea.
Do I need to have experience with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to participate?
No, you do not need to have experience with SDGs to participate. However, we encourage you to explore the topic of sustainability if you are interested in applying to the accelerator. Visit the United Nations website to learn more about the SDGs.
Application Process
What is the application and interview process?
Once the application is opened, you can submit your application anytime until the deadline listed on the accelerator homepage. Selected applications will be invited to an interview. We recommend submitting your application early as VIA conducts interviews and offers financial need-based discounts on a rolling basis. Any questions about the application process should be directed to Yuki Ueda at [email protected].
What is VIA looking for when selecting Accelerator teams?
VIA will select teams based on their experience, qualifications, vision for their community, potential to build a resilient team, and potential to develop an effective social impact project. In particular, we are looking for teams with the following interests and abilities:
Interests
- Interest in VIA’s mission and approach to experiential learning (experience with VIA is beneficial)
- Interest in addressing local challenges related to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Interest in developing leadership, facilitation, and collaboration skills
- Interest in collaborating locally, internationally, and across disciplines
- Interest in staying connected and actively contributing to VIA’s global community
- A desire to provide support to and be supported by peers from other teams
Abilities
- Demonstrated experience or strong potential as a collaborative leader
- Demonstrated experience or strong potential to create buy-in and inspire a shared vision with collaborators
- Demonstrated experience or strong potential to actively recruit and involve others, including individuals and potential partner organizations
- Comfortable with learning, discussing, and presenting in English
How many teams are accepted from each country?
We don’t limit teams by country. However, we do try to have a diverse representation of countries and project themes. We will only accept 3-5 teams in total per cohort.
Participation Expectations
Do I need to have a team already? Can you connect me to other leaders?
It is great to have a team in place already, but if you need help connecting with other leaders, VIA has a wide network of changemakers with whom we can connect you. What is most important about a team is not when it is established, but that the team is able to collaborate, is committed to both participating in the accelerator and seeing their project through, and is able to operate sustainably (meaning the team will not fall apart once the accelerator is over).
What stage should my team be at?
We work with teams at a variety of stages, from newly born projects to established organizations. As long as your team meets the aforementioned criteria, we are happy to meet with you!
Who else will be in my cohort?
Participants come from all across East and Southeast Asia. In the past, we have worked with two teams from Japan, three teams from Thailand, one team from the Philippines and Indonesia each, five teams from Myanmar, and even one team in the US!
What online platforms or apps are used for the Accelerator?
The accelerator takes place synchronously over Zoom and asynchronously on the Crew platform (also known as Launchpad).
How will I interact with others?
Participants will interact with each other on both of these platforms, as well as their teammates either over Zoom or in-person.
What’s the schedule like?
Teams will participate in 11 weekly or biweekly calls of 3 hours each. Between calls, teams are expected to be in communication and working on accelerator assignments or project implementation with their teammates and their Program Fellow.
After the Program
Will I receive a certificate of completion?
Yes! After completing all of the priority activities to a satisfactory level, as decided by VIA, you will receive a certificate.
What do teams do after the Accelerator?
Post-accelerator, teams go on to do a variety of things both professionally and personally. Some teams continue to expand and develop their programming, while others use the international education experience to apply for other programs, such as scholarships, graduate school, or jobs. Some individual participants apply to become Program Fellows for the following cohort.
Will VIA provide funding for my project?
Project funding is not a core element of the accelerator program. However, VIA can and will connect you with funding opportunities that are more specific to your project. All participants and alumni of the accelerator program are eligible to apply for the Social Impact Grant ($3000 USD).
Are there any opportunities for alumni to stay connected with other participants, speakers, and VIA after the program?
Yes! We encourage you to connect individually with your peers and others you meet during the program. After the program, you can sign up to receive updates about events and opportunities from VIA. VIA organizes alumni gatherings and other events in the US and Asia several times a year. We also have online communities for participants to connect with each other and past program alumni. Finally, alumni may come back to join another program, or return as a program fellow to help facilitate another VIA program.
Application Information
Program Dates:
Application Deadline:
Partners
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