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LIMITED SPACES AVAILABLE - WE ARE NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2025 OXFORD COURSE - SCROLL DOWN
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The big day may have come and gone, but keep in touch as we’re always up to something new and exciting.
At The Oxford Exchange, we believe that an elite intensive residential experience (in addition to a student's regular year school work) is the key to unlocking your true potential. We designed this leadership programme for future female leaders in two sub-cohorts: age 16-18, and age 19-21.
Through classes, seminars and individual tutorials held in the magical university city of Oxford, England. There you will learn from our instructors, tutors, and mentors. The curriculum is designed to enhance each Athena Scholar's ability to research, write, debate, and present her ideas effectively and persuasively.
At The Oxford Exchange, we believe that everyone has the potential to learn and grow, regardless of his or her background or experience. We are committed to providing a supportive and inclusive environment where all students can thrive and achieve their goals.
APPLICATIONS: We operate on a rolling admissions basis, and provide feedback within 1-5 days and offers of admission. We will accept applications (Statement of Interest + Essay) until our cohort is full. We highly encourage applicants to submit their applications as soon as possible.
HOW TO APPLY: You may apply through the webpage by scrolling down, or you may email us for a pdf version of the application: athenascholars@oxfordexchange.org
Our courses are designed specifically for each type of cohort and the specialities that we believe are most important to deliver in a two-week short course.
Athena Scholars are future female leaders ages 16-18, and 19-21 and we teach at a very high-level (Oxford post-graduate).
Each Athena Scholar lives in a single room on the main site in an Oxford University college. Breakfast and lunch are provided in the college dining hall, and we celebrate the end of the course in the second week with a Formal Hall experience.
The co-directors and Oxford Exchange team live in college as well, making for a safe, fun, familial environment.
The Athena Scholars programme is designed by The Oxford Exchange as an advanced leadership course for a small elite cohort of future female leaders from around the world.
"Athenians" are extraordinary young women destined for greatness who will live, learn, and dine together in the city of Oxford for two weeks.
The Oxford Exchange invites applications from studious young ladies aged 16 to 21 for a place on an elite two-week course in the city of Oxford that takes place in July and August 2025 (we offer two cohorts).
"We admit Athenians from all over the world and seek to build a close-knit cohort of strong individuals who support one another whilst making an individual commitment to excellence and community-building."
- Mrs Louise Formby, FRGS, MA, MSc (Oxon)
Director, Athena Scholars
TRACK 1: POLITICS & INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP:
1) Core Themes: Political Systems, International Relations, Security Studies, Diplomatic Studies, and Economics & Business Leadership;
2) Issue Areas: Global Health Systems, Climate Change, and Conflict & Peace Studies.
TRACK 2: STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS + CLASSICS, ENGLISH LITERATURE & CREATIVE WRITING: This course is taught at the university-level and is centred on Strategic Commincations and Public Affairs (Working with the Media, Writing Op-Eds, Controlling the Narrative, and other key areas of written and spoken persuasion. We also explore how the 'Greats' (eg Plato, Aristotle, Thucydides, Shakespeare) have shaped our understanding of the world we live in today.
The 2024 Oxford intake of Athena Scholars was a resounding success! Our cohort of thirty young women included representation from 24 different countries and ranged in ages from 16 to 20. Those 18 and over received a coveted Oxford University Bodleian Library card, and young ladies grew up in two short weeks into women seeking to change the world!
In August 2024, Athena Scholars were taught by Professor Emma Smith (one of the world's foremost authorities on William Shakespeare), Professor Craig Tiedman (International Relations Theory), Dr Simon Waldman (Political Systems), and other distinguished faculty. Dr Rakib Ehsan - a BBC and Uk Media favourite - taught the ladies how to write op-eds and how the global think tank world operates. Dr Max Thompson taught the cohort how to analyse global crises and the importance of WPS (Women, Peace and Security).
The 2024 Athena Scholars are now alumnae for life, and we have rarely seen a cohort bond so well, thereby reinforcing our philosophy of TMI (Transparency, Mutual Respect, and Inclusiveness).
Group photo in the Radcliffe Quad (Univ) before the Formal Hall.
This is a Global Female Leadership Programme
Designed into two parts: Track 1 and Track 2.
Track 1 is carefully designed alongside Track 2, as a hybrid course, introducing 21st-century geopolitical scenarios, and international relations theory.
This part of the programme is to help develop future female leaders and build their knowledge of 21st-century international relations theory, from Women, Peace & Security (WPS) to humanitarian aid, and how the works of the classics, (eg Plato, Aristotle, Thucydides) have shaped our understanding of the world we live in today.
It provides the foundational understanding for women on the Track 2 leadership programme to participate in some of the classes to enhance their knowledge and skillsets of geopolitics. Through various theoretical lenses, the student will work with other cohort members in seminars focused on Design Thinking methods.
Track 2 is specifically designed to enhance, broaden and strengthen essential skills for success IN THE POLITICAL WORLD. This includes cutting edge courses on the media and how to interact with the press, how to write op-ed papers, and how to control the narrative in politics. The Athena Scholars also take courses in reading and interpreting written works (Classics and English Literature), and thinking and writing creatively (creative writing).
This part of the programme will broaden and strengthen essential knowledge and help build skills for success in public settings, from confidence in public speaking to presentation skills and writing.
Each student is assigned a private Oxford Exchange Tutor who will help guide the student on creating a piece of written work (an op-ed or a policy paper).
We are a UK nonprofit educational organisation and our programmes are designed to be flexible and affordable without compromising the highest quality of teaching in the market. Our team of The Oxford Exchange tutors and mentors are here to support you throughout your journey.
Application Process
Applicants will be asked to complete an application providing details of their schoolwork and grades as well as a Statement of Interest and a short essay.
Our Oxford-based team will evaluate the applications closely.
For those applicants for whom an offer of admission will be forthcoming, we will also offer a scholarship scheme based on the marks that the essay receives:
1) Distinction
2) 2.1 High Merit
3) 2.1 Merit
4) 2.2 Merit
REQUIRED - Application Attachment:
1) Title Page: Your full name, date of birth, essay question, and title of your paper.
2) Statement of Interest (500 words) on why you should be an Athena Scholar.
3) Choose 1 (one) of the 3 (three) questions and submit a paper of approx. 1,500 words with a full bibliography. Be sure to properly cite works and include a bibliography. You may include graphs and tables which do not count against the final word count.
Open today | 09:00 – 21:00 |
At The Oxford Exchange, we are dedicated to providing high-quality learning and networking opportunities for young female scholars seeking to uncover their inner 'Athena' and to develop their leadership skills.
Our experienced instructors are experts in their respective fields and are passionate about teaching and helping female scholars achieve their goals.
We offer advanced university-level courses in Philosophy, Politics, Economics and Business. Our courses are designed to be intensive and interactive as we employ Design Thinking methodology for small group exercises.
The Oxford Exchange is accredited by the British Council and we are 'Alumni" of The British Council, which means that we are regularly invited to propose education policy and attend private functions with the leadership.
All of our employees and contractors must pass the appropriate British Council's extensive safeguarding training requirements.
At The Oxford Exchange we treat each student's safety and wellbeing as our top priority. We are Affiliate Members of ROSPA and we have strict policies on the protection of students, staff, and faculty at all times during our courses.
The Oxford Exchange and its affiliates, The Cambridge Exchange, and the Oxford IQ Preparatory Academy, are UK members of The Association for the Education and Guardianship of International Students (AEGIS). The purpose of AEGIS is to safeguard the welfare of international students studying at schools, colleges and universities in the UK, making them feel safe, welcome and cared for.
ATHENA
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