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<div>[[File:Startingbloc.jpeg|frame|Startingbloc.jpeg]]For over seven years, [http://www.startingbloc.org/ StartingBloc] has helped social innovators address the most pressing global challenges of our time by giving them the ''education''''', '''''inspiration'' and&nbsp;''connections'' they need to create lasting change. Our signature leadership development program, the StartingBloc Fellowship exposes young leaders to new models for achieving social impact.&nbsp;</div><div><br/></div><div>The Fellowship begins with the transformative five-day [http://www.startingbloc.org/institute Institute for Social Innovation]. The Institute is a <span style="font-size:small">boot-camp in social innovation</span>. The curriculum is designed to include all the basic skills required for social change agents.&nbsp;</div><div><br/></div><div>Following the Institute, our Fellows become part of the larger StartingBloc community which currently consists of ''1,500 ''Fellows representing ''221'' colleges and over ''53 ''countries.</div> 

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<div>StartingBloc has an [http://www.startingbloc.org/application apply/ an application process] for undergraduate students and young entrepreneurs. Application deadlines vary; make sure to check the website (linked above) for the correct submission dates. Tuition for the Institute for Social Innovations is $1,000, with a $35 non-refundable application fee. A limited number of partial and full scholarships are available for accepted canidates based on merit and financial need.&nbsp;<br/></div><div><br/></div><div>Here is the admission criteria for the fellowship program:</div><div><br/></div><div>'''StartingBloc Potential:''' (25%) Demonstration that now is the right time for the applicant to attend the Institute. The applicant should gain new understanding from the Institute, contribute to the StartingBloc community and fit with the StartingBloc values.</div><div><br/></div><div>'''Clarity of Purpose: ('''25%) Clarity of the applicant’s vision for creating impact, as evidenced in the application essays. Supporting evidence in the resume and background information that the candidate’s goals for the Fellowship are a balance between ambitious and realistic.</div><div><br/></div><div>'''Leadership and Teamwork:'''&nbsp;(20%) Ability to communicate new ideas and influence others to adopt them. Leadership can take many forms, and successful candidates often lead groups that consist of their seniors as well as their peers.</div><div><br/></div><div>'''Passion for Social Innovation:'''&nbsp;(20%) Enthusiasm for using social innovation as a tool for solving the world’s tough problems. Commitment to incorporating social innovation into personal or career goals.</div><div><br/></div><div>'''Academics: ('''10%) Ability to learn quickly; breadth and depth of intellectual curiosity.</div><div><br/></div><div>'''Diversity:'''&nbsp;StartingBloc values <u>''diversity of thought''</u>&nbsp;because combining unique perspectives often leads to innovation. The Fellowship is comprised of people from different sectors, geographies and cultural backgrounds. The experiences of each Fellow contribute to diverse modes of thought in the community as a whole. In your application, please show the admissions committee what makes you unique, and the diversity of thought that you bring to the Fellowship.</div><div><br/></div>=== Finding Funding:&nbsp; === Given the costs of attending Starting Bloc, the organization has setup a fundraising toolkit for aspiring participants. From the Starting Bloc website: “StartingBloc has partnered with CrowdRise to make it easier to fundraise your Institute costs”. CrowdRise lets users create campaigns under the StartingBloc umbrella. These campaigns can be shared online with friends, family, and supporters. StartingBloc has compiled a list of recommendations for running a successful fundraising campaign. [http://startingbloc.org/fundraising/ They can be found here.&nbsp;]