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• We meet you where you are. LearnServe is designed to take you from zero to changemaker—no prior experience, funding, or pre-existing venture required. Many social entrepreneurship programs expect participants to come in with a developed idea, but we meet you where you are and guide you through the process of designing and launching a venture that benefits your school or community.

• Gain lifelong professional skills. In the process of designing and launching a venture that benefits your school or community, you will work on project planning, public speaking, written communication, community outreach, and budgeting.

• Stand out in college and job applications – LearnServe students show demonstrable proof you know how to analyze a problem, innovate a solution, and actually launch it. Not many high schoolers get that opportunity! A 20 year externally conducted impact assessment found that about half of alumni reported LearnServe either being directly included in their college application or relying on the skills gained from the program. 73% included LearnServe on their resume.

• Apply what you learn inside a classroom into real-life, impactful actions. Afterschool programs often focus on academic success or tutoring. While important, our program fills a gap by helping students learn hands-on. 

• Grow your soft skills. Soft skills are just as important as hard skills in the professional world. We bring together students across public, charter and independent schools in the DMV into a unique third space where you will interact with peers with different backgrounds and who are tackling different social justice issues. You’ll learn about challenging assumptions, gain global perspectives, and how to approach issues with empathy, 96% of alumni reported being better able to work with peers with different backgrounds after LearnServe.

• We make a lasting impact.

  96% of alumni report being better able to collaborate with peers from different backgrounds.

  95% of students are more likely to take on leadership roles after LearnServe.

  90% feel more engaged at school.

  98% of alumni remain civically involved, with two-thirds serving as leaders in their communities.

  • 30% have led or founded a community initiative.

  • 24% launched a local volunteer project.

  • 11% have served on a board or junior board.

Our Fellows and Incubator programs are free for DCPS and DC Public Charter School students. For all other US students, fees are determined by a sliding tuition scale ranging from $50 to $1,250. No participant will be turned away due to a family’s financial situation.

Students in Zambia, Costa Rica, and Paraguay do not pay a fee.

Yes. Our programs are designed to be interconnected and progressive taking you from Fellows, to Incubator, then to Global. The Global program serves as a capstone experience, allowing you to apply your knowledge of social entrepreneurship and collaborate with other students. If you have unique circumstances or have engaged in LearnServe programs in other ways, please reach out to us to discuss potential exceptions.

Yes! DC students can earn  up to 60 community service hours in our Fellows or Incubator programs. LearnServe tracks hours through students’ attendance in our weekly Fellows session (3 hours), optional wellness workshops, and weekend retreats. Students are encouraged to track their own hours as well. Please bring your school’s community service hour sheet to us for verification mid-way through the year or at the end of the program year after you have completed one CRED check.

Enrollment for Fellows and Incubator typically opens in the April and remains open through October. Application deadlines vary, so please consult country pages for details on enrollment and application links.

No.

Yes! We offer opportunities for students who cannot commit to a full-year program:

• Wellness Workshops (DC): Join us any Wednesday on a drop-in basis for professional development or community building activities including resume prep, museum visits, board game afternoons, and more. Contact programs@learn-serve.org for our upcoming wellness workshop offerings.

• Hackathons (DC): LearnServe typically hosts an annual hackathon: a half-day event where students have the chance to work with a team of their peers from high schools across the DMV area to learn the basics of problem-solving social justice issues in their communities. Each student team works with a trained facilitator to go from having a small idea to developing and pitching a fully-fledged solution to an assigned community issue, all within 2 hours. At its close, students will reflect on their learnings, and walk away with key presentation and problem-solving skills, feeling empowered to take effective action in their communities.

  Join our email list to be notified of upcoming events like these or contact Eva Newbold at eva@learn-serve.org if you would like to be contacted when a hackathon registration opens.

• Weekend Retreats: Our Fellows program hosts a Fall and Winter retreat each year that any high school student can attend. Come learn about what we do, connect with young changemakers, and have some fun! LearnServe students are encouraged to invite friends to these retreats.

CRED Checks are personalized wellness and success check-ins designed to help students set meaningful goals and make steady progress toward them. CRED stands for “Creative, Reflective, Empathetic Doers.”

During the program, every student has access to at least two CRED Checks, where they meet one-on-one with a Student Success Advocate—professionals with training or backgrounds in social work—who provide individualized support.

In these sessions, students can:

• Explore their passions and strengths

• Reflect on challenges and celebrate wins

• Get support with academic or personal goals

• Discuss leadership growth and community impact

• Talk about post–high school plans, from college to careers to gap years

• Access resources and encouragement tailored to their needs

Students in our Fellows and Incubator programs are expected to schedule and attend two CRED Checks each year, giving them dedicated space and expert guidance to thrive both inside and outside the program.

Fellows:

• Show up to weekly 3-hour sessions on time

• Attend at our Saturday Fall and Winter retreats (Dates are given at the start of year)

• Attend Wellness Workshops and Professional Development Sessions

• Participate in Innovators’ Cafe (Deliverables: 1-minute pitch)

• Present at ChangeFest (Deliverables: 5-minute pitch, trifold poster, venture and budget proposal)

• Attend the Fellows Graduation

• Complete two CRED Checks

Incubator:

• Show up to weekly 3-hour virtual sessions on time

• Complete two CRED Checks

• Attend Wellness Workshops and Professional Development Sessions

• Present at the Incubator Virtual Pitch Competition (7-9 minute presentation)

• Attend the Incubator Graduation session

Global:

• Attend five pre-travel planning sessions leading up to the trip

• Actively engage in the Community Action Project planning process

• Fundraise with the cohort for trip expenses

• Participate in two post-travel sessions for debriefing and reflection

• Attend a post-trip celebration session

• Complete two CRED Checks

Kindly direct all mail to:

LearnServe International

P.O. Box 42182

Washington, DC 20015

Program location:

In-person Fellows DC sessions are held at partner schools in the city. The 2024-25 Fellows DC sessions are at School Without Walls (2130 G St NW, Washington, DC 20037).

Zambian, Costa Rican, and Paraguayan students should consult their country pages for location details. 

Office location:

LearnServe’s staff works on a hybrid model from a co-working space at 600 Mass Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20001. Please reach out if you need to schedule a meeting!