Undergraduate courses are at the core of ELI's student development efforts. ELI's courses aim to accelerate student development in the areas of social values, self-identification as changemakers, and self-efficacy through a combination of results-oriented pedagogies and high-touch teaching methods and coaching.

"Taking Tony Brown’s “Changemaker Leadership” and “Moral Courage and Leadership” classes fundamentally changed my academic experiences at Duke, and allowed me to view education from a whole new perspective.  They were the most unique, hands-on opportunities I have had in classes at Duke. I was allowed the freedom to experiment with different methods of actually bringing projects to life in the real world. I learned more from my failures and personal struggles in the class than I could have ever learned if I was simply told how to succeed. Even though these were by far the hardest and most work intensive class projects I’ve been involved in, the experiences and lessons I've garnered are truly invaluable. They offered me the chance not just to read about others’ successes, but to create my own.

Professor Brown is an incredible mentor, and his care and dedication to his students is apparent from the very first class. I believe the strength of the program lies in Professor Brown’s commitment to, and trust in, his students. He is committed at all stages to helping them succeed, but he trusts them to work independently, to make mistakes, and learn from them."

Learn more about how to join, and to access detailed descriptions of all Hart Leadership Program courses, visit the courses page.

The ELI Summer Leadership Accelerator is a developmental summer opportunity for undergraduates. The experience includes an internship placement with a high level of responsibility and accountability, a financial stipend, and active personal coaching.

"I heard about the ELI Summer Leadership Accelerator through the ELI class, PPS194 Leading as a Social Entrepreneur. For my internship I worked with a social business startup in San Francisco, called World Corps Inc, to design their social media strategy in addition to completing other marketing and business development tasks. The internship activated the entrepreneur within me. It honed my marketing and technical skills and geared me up to work with a startup the following semester. Liz and Tony worked hard to find me a great placement fit, helped me improve my resume and interviewing skills and advised me throughout the summer to ensure that I was an exceptional intern. I learned so much throughout the process that I will use when looking for future internships and jobs. I also had a wonderful time in San Francisco!"

Click here to meet the summer 2012 student participants! 

Many students learn best when they are engaged in projects that align with their passions and they have the opportunity to create something, attempt success, and deal with obstacles and even failure. The ELI Project Incubator seeks to accelerate the development of student-led initiatives, ideally amplifying their impact on the communities they serve and the students who create and lead them. 

"Participating in the Enterprising Leadership Initiative, first through Tony Brown’s PPS 144s course and now as an ELI Incubator member, has been the most meaningful part of my Duke experience. As a freshman, I was sure I had the drive and passion to be a leader but relatively little idea of where to direct it. I found that direction in PPS 144s where I co-founded ASPIRE (After School Programs Involving Recreational Enrichment), which uses a games-based model to educate youth about social and behavioral issues and personal development. Co-founding ASPIRE taught me many invaluable lessons: how to create and manage deliverables, how to establish a credible project and how to build a high-functioning team. By continuing to work on ASPIRE through the ELI Incubator, we have gone from piloting an idea to running a full scale program at two locations, serving over 50 elementary-aged students in Durham each semester.

The most valuable part of my involvement in ELI is undoubtedly the incredible mentoring. Tony and Liz are invaluable mentors to me, not only with their help on the development of ASPIRE, but also with their investment in my personal development. They continuously push me to think critically, reflect productively, and engage passionately. I strongly encourage other students to go through ELI, as it is sure to enhance not only your Duke experience but also your experiences well after you graduate."

Most ELI Incubator Projects emerge from ELI courses. ELI faculty and staff also work with and advise other student social impact projects. If you are interested in starting a new project, having your current project be considered for the ELI Incubator, or getting involved in one of the existing ELI projects, contact ELI Program Manager, Liz Linzer.

The ELI community includes an alumni network of over 1600 graduated students. We believe that students do not "complete" their development upon graduation; ELI is constantly working to think of new, meaningful ways that we can stay in the lives of our former students and help them aim higher today.

"As an undergraduate, I participated in ELI through a freshman colloquium course taught by Tony Brown entitled "History, Leadership and Ethics." Like most of Tony's courses, the focus of the course was on project-based learning. As an alumni, I have continued my involvement in ELI through a project called SAT Smart Start. About a year after I graduated in 2009, I found myself happy with my job as a strategy consultant, but missing the ability to work on projects that would have an impact in the community. That's when Tony announced that he was teaching a course in which teams of undergraduates would work with alumni mentors to bring a project to life. I had had an idea for a while - that college students could partner with a national test-prep organization to offer free SAT prep to low-income high school students - but didn't have the time to act on it alone. Working with two talented ELI students, we were able to successfully pitch the idea to Kaplan Test Prep. With the support of the ELI Incubator, SAT Smart Start has continued to flourish - at last count having served over 50 students from Durham and Chapel Hill. ELI's courses in college provided me with the tools to exercise leadership and put ideas into action, but it's the alumni program that has sharpened those tools and provided me the opportunity to apply them."

Visit the ELI How to Join page to find out some specific ways we engage with alumni