Program Information

Middle School Students 6th-8th Grade

Georgetown University Washington, DC

Seven Days - Sunday to Saturday

June 29th - July 5th, 2025

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$3,500 USD

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Jumpstart Program

Engage in your future career interests.

The Program

Students who participate in this dynamic program will be fully engaged with our curriculum, inspiring independent thinking, creativity, personal growth, and self-confidence. The Jumpstart Program for middle school students has just the right balance of academic rigor and excitement. Students have the chance to find their passion early in life utilizing the help of LI mentors to guide them throughout their week-long exploration.

After receiving a thorough introduction to each career path, students will work as teams and with select mentors in their chosen area of interest. In these groups, they will design a public health poster, an awareness campaign, a business logo, or advocate for an issue with congress staff members.

At the conclusion of the program, participants will challenge themselves by presenting in front of a panel of experts, showing off their hard work and the results of their exploration. The feedback and advice students receive during this exercise will boost their confidence and help them find their true passion.

Students will work with legal experts from Georgetown University to explore the U.S. legal system and trial law. Our curriculum helps students hone their analytical and logical reasoning abilities as well as practice their communication skills.

Law & Advocacy

Students will be able to meet with business owners and get firsthand accounts of the challenges their businesses are facing. They will also receive a crash course in advertising and graphic design to understand what role they play in helping a business grow.

Business Leadership

Students will work with current and former experts from a variety of national security agencies, including the Pentagon. Our interactive approach allows students to immerse themselves in the challenging complexities of national security and intelligence.

National Security

Students will explore the field of medicine with doctors and public health officials while our hands-on curriculum leads students in how to suture and casting techniques.

Public Health

Program Highlights

Jaeda Lebrun

Indian Ridge Middle School, Class of 2028

2023 Middle School Jumpstart Program

"My biggest accomplishment this summer as an intern was to positively impact the lives of those in need. By working on group projects I was able to help children in Nigeria to remember to wash their hands, I helped to restart a business that burned down, and I helped to increase security in a school. I also stepped out of my comfort zone by reaching out to the other interns, and ultimately making new friends. "

Explore prospective careers — before you attend high school.

Students will work with a variety of established professionals during the Leadership Initiatives Jumpstart Program. These professionals will include doctors, world-renowned neuroscientists, business owners from the developing world, counter-terrorism and counter-intelligence experts, and leading executives from the corporate world.

Explore prospective careers — before you attend high school.

Students will receive an introduction to medicine and public health by Dr. Aisha Garba, the Education Director of the LI Advanced Medical & Public Health Internship. Students will then go on to learn about medical triage and surgery. Later in the afternoon, student will have the opportunity to meet Dr. James Giordano, Chief of Georgetown University's Neuroethics Studies Program. To conclude the day, students will participate in an interactive casting activity.

Explore a legal career and work on a real case — before you graduate high school.

Students will receive an introduction to security and terrorism by Rusty Capps, one of the country's leading instructors and advocates for counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and security awareness education. Then, students will meet with Umar Muhammad, the International Director of Leadership Initiatives Youth Development Programs. Later in the day, students will have an opportunity to meet with officials from the Pentagon. The day will conclude with an interactive competition where students will apply their new national security knowledge.

Explore prospective careers — before you attend high school.

Students will be introduced to law and advocacy by Sarah Stiles, a professor of law and sociology at Georgetown University. Students will then have the opportunity to meet with Umar Muhammad, International Director of Leadership Initiatives Youth Development Programs, to learn about human rights violations and advocacy. The day will conclude with an introduction to the world of mock trial.

Explore prospective careers — before you attend high school.

Students will receive an introduction to business and development and meet with Leadership Initiatives business partners. Students become acquainted with the problems these business partners are facing, as well as their current models of business. The day will conclude with an interactive workshop for creating a brand for advertisement and marketing.

Explore prospective careers — before you attend high school.


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Experience life as a student at one of the nation's most prestigious universities.

Experience life as a student at one of the nation's most prestigious universities.

Leadership Initiatives is committed to prioritizing the health and safety of our students, staff, and broader DC community. For this reason, we have gone above and beyond to ensure safety at all of our Summer Internship Programs, including regular disinfection and health screenings, social distancing, specialized training, and maintaining all DC and CDC guidelines.

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Experience life as a student at one of the nation's most prestigious universities.

Participants become a part of the Georgetown community of students and staff who live together in the New South Residence Hall. Students live in two-person rooms and may select their roommate upon enrolling in the program. Leadership Initiatives will provide bedding, towels, and pillows. Each dorm room is air-conditioned and includes a bed, study desk, closet & Wi-Fi. Lounges, game rooms, laundry facilities, and our offices are located in the residence hall. With afternoon activities in the Georgetown Quad and outings along famous M Street, participants are immersed in life as a student.

Experience life as a student at one of the nation's most prestigious universities.

Leadership Initiatives provides three meals, snacks, and drinks as a part of the program tuition. Students order meals on their mobile phones from a selection of local restaurants, including Chik-fil-a, Epicurean, 90 Second Pizza, Georgetown Gourmet, Chipotle, Wisemiller's, and Jimmy John's. Meals are delivered directly to the students, and snacks and drinks are available in dorm lounges throughout the day.

Experience life as a student at one of the nation's most prestigious universities.

Students are responsible for the cost of travel to and from the internship. Leadership Initiatives provides program participants shuttle service between DCA or IAD airports and campus on the start and end dates of the program for a fee of $30 each way. Upon acceptance, you will receive instructions on how to sign up for the airport shuttle service.

Leadership Initiatives staff members will meet the students at baggage claim and then escort students directly to registration at Georgetown University.


Program Tuition & Assistance

All-Inclusive Program Tuition

Specialized
Scholarships

Assistance Scholarships

No-Interest Payment Plans

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Program tuition covers the cost of room and board, ground transportation during the program, a 5:1 student to faculty and staff ratio, all curriculum, and materials.

Education assistance covered by tuition includes one-on-one college admissions counseling sessions, lecture fees, mentor sessions with experts, workshops, and all academic benefits, including SAT/ACT training through TestRocker and college essay editing.

Scholarships, payment plans, and fundraising assistance are available.

All-Inclusive Tuition

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No-Interest Payment Plans

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Leadership Initiatives offers a variety of flexible options to pay for program tuition.

Zero-interest payment plans are available in three, six, nine, and twelve-month payment options.

Participants can opt to pay the entirety of their remaining tuition balance off at any point during the payment period.

Reserve a place today with a $100 refundable deposit here.

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Specialized Scholarships

Leadership Initiatives is dedicated to providing opportunities for everyone who shows drive, determination, and grit towards their future goals. We have created various specialized scholarships to provide merit-based aid to enrolled and potential students.

Click here to view 2024 scholarship recipients.

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Scholarships

As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, all Leadership Initiatives programs are heavily subsidized by our sponsors allowing us to offer programs with academic benefits at a lower cost than for-profit institutions.

To apply for a scholarship click here to fill out the program interest form and indicate you are interested in a scholarship.

Please note scholarships do not stack (this means you can only use one scholarship per program).


Partners and Sponsors


Our office in Washington, DC is open seven days a week - give us a call! A phone conversation allows us to answer your specific questions and provide you with contact information for previous intership participants and their families so that you can get a first-hand perspective.

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