think2perform RESEARCH INSTITUTE advances moral, purposeful, and emotionally intelligent leadership. One of the ways we achieve this mission is by developing young leaders through our Future Leaders Academy.
The Future Leaders Academy helps prepare high-achieving high school (juniors and seniors) and college (first- and second-year) students from low-income backgrounds or underrepresented communities hone their skills to reach their goals and become exceptional, emotionally intelligent leaders in any context.
Mentors: Apply Now
Mentoring is a key part of the Future Leaders Academy. The 12-month Mentorship from July to June, Mentors and Future Leaders work together to achieve the goals they developed together for the 12-month Mentorship. They goals are specific to the individual. The goals could be academic excellence, school/club/work leadership development, college transition, entrepreneurial aspirations and long-term career visions.
The Future Leaders Academy supports each Future Leader hone their emotional intelligence and self-awareness skills to achieve their goals and be better leaders in the process.
A mentor values and practices qualities such as openness, flexibility, curiosity, integrity and responsibility, and typically has 10 years of experience (any field).
We are seeking mentors who wish to share experiences and insights with Future Leaders and learn from and with Future Leaders in the process.
Mentors of Future Leaders are essential not just to our program’s success but to our community’s long-term success. Women, minorities, veterans, LGBTQ+ community members, first generation college graduates, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
Assist Future Leaders and Mentors in honing lifelong emotional and moral competencies for the benefit of self, family, school, community and workplace leadership.
The Future Leaders Academy brings Mentors and Future Leaders (high school juniors and seniors or first- and second-year college students from low-income backgrounds or underrepresented communities) together for co-learning and mentoring over 18-months:
Expected Outcomes for Mentors:
Complete mentor application and join our growing mentor network for Minnesota’s Future Leaders.
Please scroll down for additional information about the Future Leaders Academy and Mentorship FAQs.
The purpose of the Future Leaders Academy is to create space for Future Leaders and Mentors to put emotional intelligence skills into practice, to reflect on that practice, and to achieve goals aligned with their values today and in the future.
The Future Leaders Academy is:
The Future Leaders Academy is intentionally designed to hone critical skills — emotional intelligence skills and moral intelligence skills — that form the basis of life-long success.
We know from our support of research in the field of leadership that the best leaders and those who are best able to meet their goals, whatever those goals may be, are highly skilled in emotional intelligence.
The 5-month, 5-module Leadership Workshop introduces key emotional intelligence concepts and asks Future Leaders to put those concepts into practice during our interactive sessions.
The 12-month Mentorship pairs one Future Leader and Mentor in a co-learning process focused on achieving Future Leader goals.
Examples of actual mentorship goals include:
The Future Leaders Academy provides the supportive space to reflect on the critical role of emotional intelligence skills in the goal-achievement process, as well as in the success of the Future Leader-Mentor relationship.
In the process, we ensure Future Leaders, Mentors, and our Future Leaders Academy community will continue to grow now and in the future.
Download our 2023-2024 Future Leaders Academy flyer.
If you are ready to grow your leadership skills, we will begin accepting applications for our 2024-2025 Future Leaders Academy in July 2023. Apply Now!
Each cohort is limited to 20 students from Minnesota who are ready to become an Future Leaders Academy member starting in January 2024.
The Future Leaders Academy is intended for high school juniors and seniors or first- and second-year college students from low-income backgrounds or underrepresented communities in Minnesota.
The 18-month 2023-2024 Future Leaders Academy comprises two inter-related components:
Expected Outcomes For Future Leaders:
think2perform RESEARCH INSTITUTE’s five-module, virtual leadership workshop designed to help students become the next generation of intentional, emotionally intelligent leaders in their schools, homes, communities, and workplaces.
The Leadership Workshop operates on a cohort model of Future Leader peers who learn alongside experienced leaders (mentors) in a range of fields and professions. Mentors and Future Leaders learn about topics such as:
Each module of the Future Leaders Academy facilitated by a recognized content expert in emotionally intelligent leadership and coaching.
At the conclusion of the five Leadership Workshop sessions, each Future Leader is paired with an experienced leader in a yearlong mentoring relationship. Future Leaders and Mentors then come together for an in-person celebration and mentorship kick-off event in the Twin Cities.
The Mentorship is centered on putting emotional intelligence skills to work in support of achieving each Future Leader’s goals during the 12-month mentoring period, and in life beyond the Future Leaders Academy.
Mentorship Spotlight – Meet Kayla and Laurie
“(The mentorship) makes me feel empowered,” says Kayla. She likens each completed task to playing Mario Kart. “I feel like I’ve hit a booster and I hit another one and it’s a wonderful feeling getting closer to that finish line.”
Learn more about Kayla & Laurie’s mentorship on Our Blog.
Every student who completes the 18-month program will receive a certificate acknowledging they are a think2perform RESEARCH INSTITUTE Future Leader, a credential that can be highlighted on job and school applications.
Please see the FAQs section below for additional information about the Future Leaders Academy.
A mentor values and practices qualities such as openness, flexibility, curiosity, integrity and responsibility, and typically has 10 years of experience (any field).
We are seeking mentors who wish to share experiences and insights with Future Leaders and learn from and with Future Leaders in the process.
Mentors of Future Leaders are essential not just to our program’s success but to our community’s long-term success. Women, minorities, veterans, LGBTQ+ community members, first generation college graduates, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
Assist Future Leaders and Mentors in honing lifelong emotional and moral competencies for the benefit of self, family, school, community and workplace leadership.
The Future Leaders Academy brings Mentors and Future Leaders (high school juniors and seniors or first- and second-year college students from low-income backgrounds or underrepresented communities) together for co-learning and mentoring over 18-months:
Expected Outcomes for Mentors:
Complete mentor application and join our growing mentor network for Minnesota’s Future Leaders.
Please scroll down for additional information about the Future Leaders Academy and Mentorship FAQs.
Format: Each Leadership Workshop module consists of a 90-minute virtual session facilitated by two Future Leaders Academy content experts experienced in leading inclusive, interactive sessions.
Our 2023-2024 Future Leaders Academy Calendar:
Each module presents new concepts and focuses on skill development with immediate, real life application. Discussion, reflection, team building and mutual support are integral to everything we do.
Ryan Goulart
I’m looking forward to getting to know each of you. My goal is to provide you with safe space to learn, and occasionally fail, which is where real growth occurs, to succeed. When I’m not supporting the Future Leaders Academy, I’m a business leader, podcast host and mentor/coach at think2perform.
Leadership is a journey and I’m grateful to be a part of your journey wherever life takes you.
LaCresia King, LGSW, MSW
I am so excited to support the Think2Perform Research Institute, and even more importantly am excited to meet and get to know each and every one of you. When I am not supporting the Future Leaders Academy I work as a school social worker at Saint Paul Central High School – Go Minutemen!
My hope is that after you complete this experience you feel empowered to be unapologetically yourselves and step in your power as leaders in all areas of your life.
Assist Future Leaders and Mentors in honing lifelong emotional and moral competencies for the benefit of self, family, school, community and workplace leadership.
Our Mentorship Model
A dynamic three-cycle mentorship model guides the Future Leaders Academy Mentorship, a process of co-learning between Mentor and Future Leader (See B. Smith, 2013)*.
Three-Cycle Mentorship Model*
Cost: This program is provided at no cost to Future Leaders, their families or educational institutions. The program includes (in chronological order):
Contact: Brian Hammer, PhD – t2pRI Executive Director, at bhammer@t2pri.org
* The Three Cycle Mentoring Model is adapted from think2perform Research Institute board member Buffy Smith’s book: Smith, Buffy. 2013. Mentoring At-Risk Students through the Hidden Curriculum of Higher Education. Plymouth, U.K.: Lexington Books, p. 62
The Future Leaders Academy prepares high-achieving young people to become exceptional leaders in their homes, communities, schools and workplaces.
The program pairs under-represented, high-achieving high school juniors and seniors, as well as first- and second-year college students with more experienced leaders who serve as Future Leader Mentors.
Future Leader cohort: up to 20 Future Leaders starting in January 2023.
Please complete the Future Leader Application Form by Friday, January 6, 2023 at 11:59 p.m.
There is no cost (i.e., no tuition, no fees) to Future Leader participants. In fact, Future Leaders are provided a stipend of $500 USD (distributed in installments via gift cards) over the course of the Future Leaders Academy to help make participation as open and as barrier-free as possible to all interested Future Leaders.
Future Leaders Academy includes two core components:
Future Leaders and Mentors complete five 90-minute, interactive, virtual leadership development sessions led by experienced facilitators.
Academy modules include topics such as: (1) Defining Leadership; (2) Learning and Leveraging Emotional Intelligence; (3) What Is Your Calling?; (4) Moral Leadership; (5) Five Levels of Leadership
After the virtual training is complete, future and experienced leaders will come together for a one-day, in-person celebration in the Twin Cities in June 2023 & June 2024.
Prior to the in-person event each of the Future Leaders will be matched with an experienced leader for a yearlong mentoring relationship.
For Future Leaders:
For Mentors:
Mentor Roles & Responsibilities:
Phase I: January-June 2023:
Phase II: June 2023 –June 2024:
Future Leader Roles & Responsibilities during the mentorship:
Phase I: January-June 2023:
Phase II: June 2023–June 2024:
Please complete the Mentor Application Form by March 1, 2023.
think2perform RESEARCH INSTITUTE is a Minnesota nonprofit corporation; it is tax-exempt under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3).
To learn more, contact our Executive Director, Brian Hammer, PhD:
Phone: +1 612-843-5017
Email: bhammer@t2pri.org
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Mailing address: think2perform Research Institute, 706 Second Ave. S. #271, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402 USA