The Leadership in Action experience takes place in the second summer and provides Laidlaw Scholars with an opportunity to use their leadership skills in a practical setting by engaging with different cultures, challenging themselves personally, and serving communities in need.
The Leadership in Action experience can take one of three forms:
Central Laidlaw Foundation Project: These are immersive experiences offered by organisations partnered with the Laidlaw Foundation. As part of a Central Laidlaw project, you will join a cohort of Scholars from other participating universities to deliver leadership projects that address key social issues. Past partners have included:
Leadership Placement: Scholars identify and approach their own external organisation and partner with them to deliver a project that is designed by the Scholar to make a positive impact on the communities the organisation serves. Potential partner organisations can include charities, NGOs, or not-for-profit community-based organisations. This placement can be tied to the Scholar’s research project or can explore new areas of interest.
In-field Application of Research: This option allows Scholars to implement the findings of their summer research projects with a focus on using leadership and research skills to make positive change in society. This should not constitute a second summer of research, but rather expand upon the scope and objectives of the first summer to include practical, leadership-based applications.
Scholars should also explore a new and challenging environment, away from their more familiar research environment and might include working in partnership with an international university, charity, or NGO. In-field applications of research are normally supervised by the same academic who supervised the summer research project, and the second summer’s Leadership in Action experience should feature in the overall planning of the project.
All three options for the Leadership in Action experience should have clear goals and aim towards specific outputs. They should also adhere to the Laidlaw Foundation’s criteria stating that each experience comprise:
- A learning experience of six-weeks duration in a new and personally challenging environment
- Working to support communities in need
- Developing and demonstrating the Laidlaw leadership skills, attributes, and values
- Clearly defined objectives and deliverables owned by the Scholar
- Learning through service internationally/overseas
Scholars receive a stipend of £3000 during the second summer and can apply for additional project and travel funding to cover expenses in excess of the stipend.
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