Application. You submit an application online that includes: short questions, essay prompts, video submission, and supplementary information.
Interview. After we review your application, you may be invited to a virtual interview with a member of our Admissions Team. In this round, we want to learn more about you, your passions, motivations, and ideas.
Decision. Most applicants will receive a decision within 6-8 weeks after the application deadline.
In case you don’t have consistent access to the internet but still want to attend a Virtual Camp, please include this piece of information in your application so LALA can make sure to support you better.
WHAT HAPPENS AT A CAMP?
Bianca Vasconcelos (PLB)
My camp was the first time I could travel outside Brazil for an immersion experience. It was amazing to experience house-sitting with people from all corners of Latin America. I experienced a high level of connection and a sense of belonging there. Not only to that group but also as a Latin American woman, I had experiences that were very important for the life I am following today.
Sol Petroni (PLB1)
The camp was a turning point in my life. With the support of a community, I reflected on what I cared about and who I wanted to be. The participants and the staff made me feel seen and were eager to change the world, just like me. I was able to be myself, find my purpose, and build relationships that are still present in my life.
Andressa Reis (MLB2)
When I participated in my first LALA Bootcamp, I didn’t know the dimension of what the word “LALeader” would mean to me. MLB2 was the first step in my personal and interpersonal development; connecting with people from different parts of Latin America opened my view of the world and, in a fruitful way, made me the person I am today.
Júlia Peixoto (VLB9)
My V-Camp broadened my views on social change and being part of a community. It made me believe I could change the world, not because I can do it all – but because together, we can do a lot!
Jhudy Souza (VLB16)
Being part of LALA fulfilled a personal dream I had for a few years. Honestly, the community has far exceeded my expectations and has become like a second family to me! My favorite part was learning that vulnerability is not about being weak but rather about being open to feeling at all times.
Sueli Zalazar (MLB1)
The LALA Bootcamp is the most unforgettable experience someone can ever go through; it was the most life-changing moment for me. Being surrounded by so many passionate people is incredible; it’s an experience full of self-listening, happiness, and purpose.
LALA is a non-profit institution that seeks to promote sustainable economic development and strengthen democratic governance in Latin America by developing and connecting a new generation of principled and socially innovative leaders. Find out more about our mission and purpose on the About Us page.
No! LALA is a legal non-profit organization. Through Google, you can find articles about our work in trustworthy communication channels, such as The Bogota Post, Educación Futura, El Comercio, Estudar Fora, Escola Mobile, Brazil Reports, and Argentina Reports.
The entry initiative to LALA is the Leadership Camp. After students successfully attend the program, they become LALeaders. To keep supporting them, we created an ecosystem network of Mentors, LALeaders, and others that keeps growing! Find out more about our programs on the The Ecosystem page.
Here is a breakdown of the application stages: (1) Filling out the application form and the financial aid form on the website (available only when our applications are open); (2) Reviewing applications and sending acceptance and rejection letters for interviews; (3) Interviews; (4) Reviewing pre-final candidates’ applications; (5) Sending either an acceptance or rejection final letter for the camp.
There are 3 essays in the LALA application and each with a minimum of 250 words and a maximum of 350 words.
We encourage you to apply to any camp in the language you feel most comfortable with. We require a medium proficiency level for English camps to fully understand and be involved, which will be tested during the interview stage.
Check this document for the most frequent questions about OpenApply.
The age requirement for our Camps is 14-20 by June 19th, 2023. Sadly, we don’t make expectations for the age requirement, as we follow the internal Admissions Policies and Procedures.
Those who were born and/or lived in Latin America for over 10 years are qualified to apply.
The curriculum and connections students make are the same. We promise you will get the same quality of Camps and activities. To check more about their similarities and small structural differences, go to the Leadership Camps section on this page.
Yes, you will be able to apply to up to 3 online/in-person camps, but you will only be accepted in one of them. We have an integrated application form for all the editions.
First and foremost is important to highlight that in case you are accepted, it will only be to one camp (either virtual or in-person). When you access the application platform, you will be able to select 3 camps in order of preference that you would be able to attend. Keep in mind the date, location, and language. You may choose 3 online camps, 3 in-person camps, or select 3 camps of different formats to this list of preferences.
After analyzing all applications, the selection process will happen as explained and in the timeline available on this page. If you apply to an in-person, which has a shorter timeline and therefore will be analyzed first, and are not selected, all the documents and interviews provided will be used to consider you for a position in the online camps.
If you start the in-person application but don’t send it before the deadline, you will have the opportunity to finish the application for the virtual camps. Your application information will be stored on OpenApply, but you will need to “update” the answer to the question “Which camp are you interested in?” from “in-person camps” to “v-camps.”
We’d love to have you join us! Feel free to re-apply to our future camps.
If accepted, this information will be provided on your admission letter.
On your admission letter, you will get a deadline for making this request. After the deadline, reallocations will be closed, except for health emergencies, because late switches bring operational challenges. We highly recommend that you plan ahead and let us know if you have any predictable commitments on your program date.
Once a student is accepted into one of our camps, we will send the selected student a survey for their guardians to fill out so we can receive your contact information and forward you updates, invitations, and guidance. For example, we will send guardians a newsletter with more details about the organization and host Family Welcome Webinars in Spanish and Portuguese. For more details on this topic check the For Guardians page.
Please check the Our Team page to learn more about all the staff involved in organization!
The Financial Aid team at LALA takes into account all the demonstrated need from the financial information shared by the candidates during their application (Financial Form), respecting the regulation on Data Policy, to calculate the scholarships to each candidate. The model considers factors such as family income (total and per capita) and the proportion of all admitted students in the season to provide the distribution of scholarships in the most equitable way possible.
Briefly, applicants with lower incomes are more likely to receive scholarships, but 90% of the applicants receive a certain amount of financial aid. For more details on this topic check the Financial Aid page.
Before camps start, you will be sent an email with all the information and resources you’ll need. There is no need to buy anything specifically.
Yes, it’s possible, you have the right to request all your database to be removed, and it will be a violation of data privacy if we still keep it, so you have a right, and if you request, we will kindly remove it. Contact [email protected] to start this process.
Oftentimes, those emails can be on the spam box. Go to the spam box in your email and search for keywords such as LALA, application form/update, OpenApply, webinar or office hours.
If you have further inquiries, feel free to reach out to:
Please make sure to name the email subject in the following way: Name/Matter (e.g.: Maria/Interview Problem).
All of our updates, none of the spam
© 2023 Latin American Leadership Academy. Made with ❤ by the Communications Department & Ideals Interactive
