Young Leaders Programme
Student Information
Everything a prospective or current Young Leader needs to know about the programme itself — separate from the yearly application details.
This page covers everything you need to know as a prospective or current Young Leader — the day-to-day of the programme, who can apply, and what life at Chibombo is like. For the yearly application dates and how to apply, see the current application cycle page below.
What you'll do on the programme
Our Young Leaders Programme is an intensive, full-time university and life-preparation course lasting approximately 18 months, moving through the five stages described on the main programme page — reflection, alignment, balance, self-management and continuity. Across that time, you will:
- Learn how to lead through participation in community service projects
- Develop team-work skills by volunteering within Our Moon and within our community
- Learn basic and more advanced IT skills
- Discover yourself through our Identity and Expression course
- Research your academic passions and write a 4000-word essay on a global issue seen through a Zambian lens
- Develop your critical reading and writing skills
- Improve your English grammar and punctuation
- Prepare for SATs and the Duolingo English Test
- Apply to universities around the world that share our ethos, and for associated financial aid
- Gain employability skills through projects, internships and/or entrepreneurship opportunities
- Learn how to look after your physical, mental and spiritual health
- Take part in community service and volunteering
Eligibility in detail
The main Young Leaders Programme page covers the headline selection criteria and our policy to balance genders. In practice, this is what those criteria mean:
- All applicants are expected to have achieved a high academic standard and completed high school in Zambia. We typically expect students to have gained between 6-8 points from six, out of eight subjects (with mainly 1s and 2s) in their Grade 12 ECZ exams. There is a little leeway for a student with a very strong application in other areas.
- We expect all students to be from low-income families who cannot afford our programme, or to go to university within Zambia, without full financial support — and who would be at risk of dropping out even with a 100% loan. We run an ethical programme; any student found to be lying about their financial situation will be immediately dismissed.
- All accepted students are expected to withdraw from any other university preparation programmes and make themselves fully available for the programme, whether studying from home or in Chibombo, and to attend all bootcamps.
- If a student narrowly fails to get onto the programme, we may offer them a place on our SuperSpace projects and community service instead — helping them develop their identity, how they express themselves, and set goals for the future.
About Our Site
Our Moon acquired some land from the Chief in 2019. It is in a beautiful area of Chibombo, in Zambia's Central Province, and is blessed with wonderful large skies. All the students who have visited us on both long-term and short-term programmes say that it is very conducive to study here.
We have been constructing numerous structures and developing the land. Building work is still ongoing when funding allows.
We have installed a solar system with a backup generator to cover us on dull days, and have a bore hole with a solar pump. We are, therefore, self-sufficient in terms of water and electricity. In addition, we subscribe to Starlink to ensure we have reliable internet.
When participating at our residential site, Our Moon provides tuition fees, food, accommodation, internet and learning materials. We have a house parent who looks after the safety of students, night-watch staff who patrol the grounds, and perimeter fencing and lighting. When studying from home, Our Moon provides data to ensure you can get online.
Ready to find out more?
Applications for the current intake are open now. If you have questions about the process, our Help page has answers.