What is ALU’s Learning Model?

At ALU, we are designing the most innovative, field-based, and experiential education to catalyze young, creative, and agile African leaders to change the future.

Research done by the Center for Creative Leadership and by others suggests that only ten percent of learning takes place in a classroom. Twenty percent comes from developmental relationships and the majority— seventy percent—comes from challenging experiences and assignments. Simply put, we learn best by doing. 

ALU is focusing on the twenty percent--learning from developmental relationships-- and on the seventy percent--learning through real-world experiences. By allowing students to study in urban and rural hubs across Africa, we are placing them in close proximity to the problems they will need to solve as leaders, and to the communities they will need to serve.

Our Learning Model:

Foundation: The Foundation skills are composed of 8 modules, which are grouped into 4 categories: How to Think, How to Be, How to Do, and How to Learn. These modules are distributed in 3/4 years until students graduate.

Skills Immersion: Students are prepared to be independent, self-directed learners, and are exposed to Global Challenges and Opportunities, Missions, and Entrepreneurial Literacy.

Missions: Students choose their specialization (either a Bachelor’s Degree in Entrepreneurial Leadership or in Software Engineering) and their personal missions. They will then be supported in selecting learning materials and professional development experiences to support that mission for the rest of their time at ALU.