The Mount Vernon Leadership Fellows Program is a highly selective six week summer institute for rising college juniors offering unparalleled learning and networking opportunities at the home of America’s first president just outside our nation’s capital.
“The opportunity to be inspired by and learn from George Washington’s legacy cultivated a unique and rewarding experience. At Mount Vernon, I was encouraged to dream bigger, expect more from myself, and further develop my spirit of service.”
Chidinma Hannah Nnoromele Duke University ‘17We offer an all-inclusive six week program that provides housing, transportation, meals and a $3000 stipend.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Mount Vernon Leadership Fellows program focuses on the tenets of civility, ethics, integrity, and credibility in leadership and decision-making as evidenced by George Washington throughout his life. Fellows will also explore their own character and how it shapes their ability to lead.
How do visions become a reality? Students learn how George Washington built institutions that carried out his strategic objectives and encouraged those around him to do the same. Washington learned early in his career that brilliant strategic thinking required well-crafted institutions to support and carry out broader objectives.
Utilizing specific examples from George Washington’s military and political career, fellows explore George Washington’s approach to the components of implementing a successful strategy. Strategic leadership necessitates prioritizing goals, organizing groups, and viewing the playing field through different perspectives. Fellows will study George Washington’s conceptions of power and discuss how he used that power to win the Revolutionary War, forge the Constitution, and sustain the nascent national government.
Fellows will study how George Washington led the first executive branch of government and explore the intricacies of leading groups as they execute carefully developed strategic visions. Fellows present their Capstone projects, discussing how they will implement their vision, create institutions, and formulate a plan of action.
“The chance to spend my summer at Mount Vernon working on a project of my choice and really getting the tools I needed to enhance my own leadership for the future could not have been a better opportunity.”
Emerson Wells Brown University ‘188:00am |
Shuttle to Mount Vernon | |
9:00am |
Chris Lu | |
10:30am |
"Genius of George Washington" by Edmund Morgan | |
11:30am |
George Washington and Strategic Leadership in the Continental Army | |
12:30pm |
Lunch on Your Own | |
1:30pm |
Overview of this week's offsite visits | |
2:00pm |
Michael Morell | |
4:00pm |
Ed Ryan, Deputy Director DIA |
“My favorite part of the program has definitely been interacting with so many amazing leaders, peers, Mount Vernon staff members, and all the speakers we met. I learned something from everyone, it was a really great opportunity to network.”
Garrett Kalt Washington State University ‘18A highlight of the Leadership Fellows experience is learning how to take a personal passion and turn it into a blueprint for action in the form of a Capstone Project. Working with an assigned mentor, Leadership Fellows will be spending some of their time at Mount Vernon working on their individual capstones, culminating in a final presentation at the conclusion of the program.
Our Mount Vernon Leadership Fellows are an accomplished group of passionate and dedicated student leaders. Meet our alumni and see Mount Vernon Leadership Fellows in the news.
Students who meet the following criteria are encouraged to apply:
Application requirements:
The link for the Summer 2021 application will be available on the bottom of this page by the end of October 2020. Please check back.
Applications will be due January 31, 2021.