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The Leven Global Leadership Academy (LGLA) prepares a cohort of Jewish teens from around the world with marketable leadership skills and experiences that are transferable throughout their lives. Designed as an online cohort, it’s based on the three pillars that define a leader—Understanding Leadership Strengths, Relationship Building, and Scaling Impact. These are intended to create a strong force of teens who are our future leaders, committed to a strong Jewish community and a better world.
As a member of the LGLA, you will take part in monthly cohort calls, learn from prominent entrepreneurs and leadership experts, be mentored by past cohort members, and complete projects designed to further develop your leadership skills (like cultivating your strengths, networking, public speaking, and managing a team, just to name a few). You will also deliver a TED Talk at International Convention, which you will develop through the guidance of our mentors, staff, and our friends at TED. You will exit the program with further developed leadership strengths along with skills in relationship building and leading a movement to leave a larger impact.
LGLA generally looks to engage high school sophomores (grade 10, ages 15–16, though we’re open to other ages if it feels like the right fit) who have great leadership potential but may not necessarily hold formal leadership positions. LGLA intends to provide an alternative leadership experience to the experiential training that teens get in board positions.
Learn lifelong leadership skills from top leaders across industries and begin building your professional network.
Global Chair of Limmud and Founder of LivLuv
Co-Author, Yes She Can and fmr. Obama Administration Policy Advisor
Founder and CEO of WhoseYourLandlord
Chief Executive Officer, BBYO
Entrepreneur and Co-Founder and CEO of Bandura Games
Associate Program Director, TED-Ed
Associate Vice President of Jewish Enrichment, BBYO
Sr. Manager, External and Government Affairs at PepsiCo; fmr. Obama Administration Policy Advisor
Journalist and Founder of EveryEpic
Vice Chairman, BBYO Board of Directors
Chief Executive Officer, Shalom Austin
Director of Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, Union for Reform Judaism
Founder, JSwipe
Youth Years Director, Ashoka Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay
Co-Founder, Jewish Future Pledge
Co-Founder, Scoop Technologies
Co-Founder, Scoop Technologies
Emmy Award-Winning Independent Documentary Film Producer
Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, FedEx Express
Co-founder, Youth for Climate Argentina
VP of Business Development & Marketing, MorganFranklin Consulting
“I think that my communication and adaptability has improved so much more. GLA has allowed me to gain so much confidence and this has allowed me to expand my network as well as giving me the opportunity to do this on a global scale.” —Lauren Frankal, United Kingdom & Ireland, 2019-2020
“I have learned to see the bigger impact of what I do. Before GLA, I had only focused on what I could do for myself and not how my leadership affects others. Now, I have a greater understanding of what I can do to help others in my community.” —Gabriella Cohen, Northern Region East: Baltimore, 2019-2020
“If there is one thing I want to bring back to my community from GLA is that being a leader is not necessarily about learning new skills, but it is mostly about taking the skills you already have and sharpening them.” —Evan Forman, Lake Ontario Region, 2018-2019
Explore the key dates for the Leven Global Leadership Academy cohort for 2022-2023. LGLA will have two different cohorts this year that will meet at different times during the same week and do the same content.
Week of
Call 1 |Â Orientation and get to know you.
Week of
Call 2 |Â Knowing Your Strengths
Week of
Call 3 | Relationship Building
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Week of
Call 4 |Â Scaling Impact
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Week of
Call 5 |Â Â TED: Surfacing & Developing Ideas
Week of
Call 6 | TED: Developing Ideas into Talks
Present Talks at International Convention
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Week of
Feedback & Celebration
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The Leven Global Leadership Academy is celebrating its fifth year as a highly regarded BBYO program. Learn more about the experience by exploring some common questions listed below.
You should plan to commit five hours a month to the Leven Global Leadership Academy. These hours include monthly cohort calls that you will take part in as well as projects you will work on to further foster your leadership skills.
LGLA is generally targeted toward high school sophomores (grade 10, ages 15–16) looking to build their skills and experience outside BBYO’s traditional democratic leadership model. We especially encourage applicants who do not hold any formal board position.
As a member of the LGLA, you will participate in monthly cohort calls with all other LGLA teens. Calls generally fall into Leadership Sessions or TED Masterclass Sessions. Calls generally fall into Leadership Sessions (you’ll have three of these) or TED Masterclass Sessions (you’ll also have three of these).
Leadership Sessions are 90-minute calls that workshop one leadership pillar with notable leaders and coaches, helping you refine your skills. A typical call agenda might look like this:
Icebreaker/Introductions
Workshops
Time with Cohort Buddies and Mentorship Groups
Cohort Reflection
Upcoming Individual Projects
TED Masterclass Sessions are 90-minute calls where you’ll collaboratively develop the TED Talk that you’ll deliver at BBYO International Convention through feedback and coaching with your cohort.
LGLA looks for high school sophomores 10th graders with great leadership potential greatly interested in growing their skills including public speaking, story telling, team building, and goal setting.
Create your own leadership journey as you choose from a menu of projects that further develop leadership skills explored on the cohort call. These projects are intended to set you up for success in other leadership endeavors and to leave an impact on your community. Think: getting coffee with an alum, writing an article for the Shofar, and meeting with an executive in a field of interest.Â
Click here for a peek at past LGLA projects.
