Our Programs
Explore our interconnected programs—Fellows, Incubator, and LearnServe Global—to turn your passion into action.
Program Overview
Our programs bring together young people from diverse backgrounds with untapped leadership potential and a strong desire to create change. We help you develop a sense of agency and purpose through leadership and social entrepreneurship training.
Fellows
YEAR 1
Launch your changemaking journey here.
Incubator
YEAR 2
Deepen your impact with a global cohort
LearnServe Global
SUMMER CAPSTONE
Collaborate during a life-changing travel experience
Our Program’s Benefits
Small cohort sizes
Learn about social entrepreneurship and develop a venture that benefits your school or community.
1-on-1 Meetings
Personal guidance with a student success advocate to support your growth.
Mentorship
Connect with experienced advisors who provide expert insights and guidance.
Local & Global Community
Join a diverse network of peers passionate about creating positive change.
Funding Opportunities
Access resources to fund and implement your venture in real-world settings.
New to LearnServe?
Start with our Fellows program.
Fellows:
Channel your anger into passion, and passion into action.
Over the course of a 7-month school year, we’ll walk you through identifying a social injustice in your community you want to solve. You will research, design, pitch, and launch a social venture.
Available in Washington D.C; Lusaka, Zambia; and Batan, Costa Rica.
(In-person and virtual) Weekly sessions from October - April
This is the program for you if:
You are frustrated by global and local injustices, but are unsure how to take action
Have an idea to benefit your community, but don’t know where to start
Want a unique opportunity for hands-on learning
(P.S. You can get community service hours.)
Apply Now
Incubator
Deepen your impact with a global cohort.
Our Incubator guides students who have completed the Fellows program into a year of elevated research, development, and implementation of their project. In this advanced program, you will dive deep into customer discovery and launch minimum viable products.
Available virtually for students in Washington D.C; Lusaka, Zambia;
Weekly sessions from October - April
This is the program for you if:
You were inspired during the Fellows program, and are ready to do more
Have a solid idea about what you want to accomplish, but need further guidance to overcome obstacles
Are ready for an intensive year of growth and want a tight-knit community to grow with you
LearnServe Global:
Connect with LearnServe peers in a transformative travel experience.
LearnServe Global brings together graduates of our Incubator program for a two-week cultural and learning exchange in Lusaka, Zambia.
What to expect:
Hands-on Social Impact:
Visit nonprofit organizations to gain a deeper understanding of social entrepreneurship in a global context.Collaborative Action:
Fundraise, plan, and implement a community action project that directly benefits a local community.Meaningful Connections:
Strengthen bonds with LearnServe peers you’ve met through the Incubator, sharing experiences and learning from one another.
Application Process:
Submit your application using the links above and we will follow up.
The application process is simple. We ask for basic contact information and short reflections to the following questions (2-3 sentences to each will suffice):
What is something that you have accomplished this year that you are proud of and why?
What improvements would you like to see in your school or community, and why?
Describe a time when you overcame a challenge or obstacle, and how?
Cost:
Our programs are free for DCPS and DC Public Charter School students.
All other students’ tuition is determined by a sliding-scale tuition model from $50 to $1250, based on ability to pay. No participant will be turned away due to a family’s financial situation.
LearnServe is committed to ensuring our leadership, social entrepreneurship, and global experiences are accessible to all students, regardless of individual circumstances.
Key Topics:
All of our programs are built around the LearnServe Method, which guides you through five stages: Foundations, Analyze, Innovate, Act, and Reflect. Below are the core topics you will explore:
Phase 1
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Introduction to social entrepreneurship: Understanding the principles and basics of creating solutions to solve social injustices.
Exploring identity and inclusive communities: Cultivating awareness about your unique identity, and how to create accountable spaces during program sessions.
The U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Connecting global frameworks to local action for social change.
Phase 2
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Identifying and refining a social problem: How to identify a social injustice and focus on a specific cause or consequence for your venture.
Customer discovery and human-centered design: How to interview or survey others’ effectively to understand their needs.
Phase 3
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Prototyping and designing pilot projects: Learning how to create and design solutions.
Developing Minimum Viable Products (MVPs): Understanding the importance of testing smaller versions of your venture to gather feedback and improve.
Phase 4
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Launching your project: Bringing your idea to life with a pilot project.
Fundraising and resource mapping: Understanding fundraising and strategies for securing resources for your social venture.
Effective communication: Crafting compelling elevator pitches and mastering public speaking skills to present your project to audiences and investors.
Phase 5
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Measuring impact: Learning how to assess the success of your project through data and feedback.
Planning for the future: Budgeting and long-term planning to ensure continued growth and success of your social venture after our programs.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the program, participants will:
Gain a comprehensive understanding of local and global social injustices.
Acquire hands-on experience in creating prototypes and MVPs, developing practical solutions for real-world problems.
Walk away with project management skills, a solutions-oriented mindset, and confidence in your strengths and talents.
Be able to connect local social issues to the U.N. SDGs, demonstrating how local efforts can contribute to global goals.
Master the art of the elevator pitch and become proficient in public speaking, equipping you with the tools to share your ideas with confidence.
Collaborate with peers from different backgrounds, with heightened awareness about intersectionality, cultural competency.
Project Examples
kTrace:
An app to track the spread of infectious disease using Bluetooth technology.
By Rohan Suri (Fellows DC ‘15), who has gone on to be named on Forbes 30 under 30 twice.
Fresher Choice:
A venture bringing fresh produce to residence in Ward 7.
By Shirin Ghorbani (Fellows DC ‘21), featured in Bethesda Magazine
Food Processing
Turning discarded produce into delicious relishes, juices, and jams.
.By Ariel Phiri (Fellows Zambia ‘23), whose prototypes have been selling well!
Jojo’s Outstanding Jojoba Oil:
A hair care line fighting natural hair discrimination and advocating for ingredient safety in hair care products marketed to Black women.
By Adjo Evonlah (Fellows DC ‘21, Incubator ‘22), recognized as one of six finalists in Towson University’s inaugural Innovation Cup Challenge.
HER Education:
An organization that has now built 13 libraries serving 20,000 students at girls schools in Pakistan and Morocco.
Created by Hannah Ford and Zoha Siddiqui (Incubator ‘17), honored as winners of the Top 30 Changemaker Challenge Awards from T-Mobile, a nationwide search for young innovators!
Project Infinity:
A solar-powered charger for phones, laptops, and light bulbs to provide an alternative energy source during load-shedding (rolling blackouts) in Zambia.
Created by Chama Bunda and Chriad Kawamwilu (Fellows DC ‘23, Incubator ‘24)
Eco-Recycle:
A process upcycling plastic waste into floor tiles, fighting plastic pollution and creating employment opportunities.
By Safi and Joyce Chibwe (Fellows Zambia ‘23, Incubator ‘24)
ScholarCHIPS:
A nonprofit that has provided over $500,000 in college scholarships and supports to college-bound young adults who have incarcerated parents.
By Yasmine Arrington (Fellows DC ‘11)
Boosted Reading:
A venture ensuring DC elementary school students have access to books by and about people of color.
By Nia Brown (Incubator ‘21)
Student Stories
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A lot of problems in the world are presented by adults to handle . . . LearnServe gives you a platform, space, and opportunity to say ‘I care. I see it. I live it. Let me do something about it’
Jayme Mims
Paraguay ‘17, Fellows DC ‘19 -
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The fact that you listened and never once doubted that I can solve these problems has made me believe that one day, I can actually solve these problems.
Romeo Phillippe
Fellows DC ‘19, Zambia ‘19 -
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From the time I was young I’ve been wanting to help alot of young people. But with LearnServe and Njira, they really brought my dream to action.
Mwansa Sunga
Fellows Zambia ‘23, Incubator ‘24,
Global Zambia ‘24 -
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From day one, I was so impressed by how organized everything was and how seen and heard I felt. In the past, when I shared my ideas for ventures to others, they weren’t always well received. LearnServe really encouraged me to take action.
Jackie Chen Fellows
DC ‘22, Incubator ‘23,
Global Zambia ‘24 -
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Participating in the incubator was a wonderful experience that enabled me to take my venture from a mere idea to a blooming reality by giving me the programming and resources needed to develop my venture.
Adjo Evonlah
Fellows DC ‘21, Incubator ‘22 -
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I’ve developed skills and a mindset to not be dependent only on the government [to solve social problems]. What can I do about this? If this fails, what can I do next?
Joyce Chibwe
Fellows Zambia ‘23, Incubator ‘24, Global Zambia ‘24 -
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A lot of my LearnServe experience was building skills. One of my first conversations with Scott (LearnServe’s CEO) was that even if my venture doesn’t go very far, I will walk away with the skills to do more projects in the future
Ethan Huang
Fellows DC ‘24
