Cross-Cultural Leadership Program for Students
What is CCLP?
WLSA created the Cross-Cultural Leadership Program (CCLP) to actively engage and facilitate students in developing connections, developing themselves and acting on issues they find important.
CCLP is a truly global online program where you learn leadership skills through working together with students from all over the world. It is a course offered to WLSA Associate Schools where leadership is a natural progression goal for students.
Is CCLP for you?
- Are you in your sophomore or junior year?
- Do you want to learn what it means to be an empathetic leader?
- Do you want to meet and work with students from all over the world?
- Are you interested in exploring different cultures, different ideas, and how other people see the world?
If you're open, curious and proactive in learning about yourself and others, CCLP can provide a path for your personal development.

75%
of students can now debate and defend a point of view
78%
of students can now speak more confidently in public
89%
of students now understand what it means to be a leader and how to apply this to their daily lives
92%
of students are now more open and respectful of diversity
How does it work?
CCLP is split into two 10-week terms of online learning followed by a capstone that you'll attend in person in the summer of 2021 (dates and location as yet to be determined, dependent on the COVID-19 situation). With the guidance of a mentor and alongside other students from around the globe, you'll use WLSA's online learning platform Spark to complete assignments and get to know the other students. To be successful in CCLP you need to be curious and willing to put yourself out there. By working together as a group, you'll develop your leadership skills as an individual.
The course culminates in a capstone where you'll get to meet everyone in person. The 2018 capstone was held at the Korea International School Jeju Campus in Jeju, South Korea.
Term 1
5 October - 13 December 2020
The first term focuses on you.
You'll be put into groups of 4 - 6 students from schools from around the world and get to know them through different online activities with the aim to reflect on yourself, your identity, what makes you tick, what you care about and how you can apply your strengths to everyday situations in school and at home. Weaving through the core curriculum of term 1 will be an introduction to different leadership styles.
Term 2
18 January - 28 March 2021
The second term focuses on active leadership.
You'll change groups and work with a new set of students on the course assignments. Term 2 has a stronger focus on leadership: you'll learn about different leadership styles and tackle moral dilemmas commonly faced by leaders. During this part of the course you'll also be expected to develop and practice your leadership skills by identifying a challenge in your school and delivering a project on it.
Capstone
Dates & location TDB
Once you've successfully completed both terms you'll get to meet your fellow participants and mentor at the capstone, where you'll put your hard-earned lessons to practice.
Working with a Mentor
As part of the program you'll be assigned a mentor to guide you through the course and support your learning. They'll be your main point of contact, lead the online working groups and give you feedback as you complete activities. They'll also be your sounding board as you develop your personal projects in the second term and your guide as you complete the program at the capstone.
Although CCLP participants and mentors are usually in different time zones across the world, in order to be successful in the program you must be diligent about staying engaged and responding to your mentor as soon as possible.
How can you get involved?
Step 1 Submit your application starting 8 June 2020
Step 2 If you've been selected, you'll hear back from us in late September 2020
The application deadline is 21 September 2020
What our students have to say
I think the most important thing is to lean into discomfort and put yourself out there, and you will get the most out of the trip – I really appreciated the leadership workshops & reflections because they allowed me to think about myself and how I can improve.
The Requirements
Students are expected to:
- Complete all tasks within the time framework provided
- To communicate with the other students in the CCLP group they are allocated to
- Keep in regular contact with their mentor
- Should the CCLP term run outside of the school’s academic term the student is still expected to continue with the program and complete tasks assigned
- Prepare and run a 6 week project in their school or community to test their leadership skills in action
Costs
While WLSA covers the cost of the course, students are expected to cover the full capstone program cost of €800 and the costs of any travel to the in-person capstone in the summer of 2021. This includes funding airfare, local transportation, food, lodging and personal expenses related to the capstone.
Upon acceptance into the course, students will be asked to pay a €200 non-refundable deposit to secure their place. The balance of €600 will be collected at a later date. In the event that we will not be able to travel to an in-person capstone due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the final cost will be adjusted to reflect the virtual capstone.