Scholege & D-Labs
D-Labs
D-Labs is an experiential learning program built to develop leadership, entrepreneurship and the skills of the 21st century. Under the D-Labs umbrella, young leaders first learn to turn their ideas into concrete projects, and then to turn those projects into real impact in the world around them.
D-Labs brings students together with expert mentors in live, hands-on labs. In these labs, students pitch real ideas, build real teams and present real outcomes in front of an audience. The sessions are designed to develop design thinking, public speaking and project leadership skills all at the same time. The entire program is run in English from the very first day.
A cohort runs as a series of live labs that follow one another. Students bring a problem they genuinely care about, form teams around it and, with a mentor beside them, work it into a project that can be presented. Along the way they practise the skills that never appear on a transcript but that they will need for the rest of their lives. They learn to frame an argument on solid foundations, to defend it in English and to stand in front of a room and express themselves.
The D-Labs program runs on its own platform, with its own academic calendar and its own faculty. For detailed information about current programs, cohort dates and the application steps, you can visit thedlabs.net.
About the programme
D-Labs is for students who would rather build something than only study it. It is for the ones who have an idea, a cause or a question that they keep coming back to. No entrepreneurial background is expected of anyone who applies. Curiosity and the willingness to work as part of a team are the only entry ticket the program asks for.
Every cohort works in the same way. It is built around live labs, a real problem that the students choose for themselves, a team formed around that problem and a mentor who works alongside them throughout. What students leave with at the end is not a certificate to file away and forget, but a project they can present, talk about and stand behind.
The programme runs in English from day one and all the way through to the final presentation. It is not a language course, though. Students use English to argue for an idea, to work with their team and to hold the attention of a room. This is exactly the point at which the English they learned in the classroom finally becomes their own.
D-Labs runs on its own site, with its own calendar and its own faculty. You can visit thedlabs.net to see which programmes are currently open, to read about what each one involves and to send in your application. Everything you need to know about joining a cohort can be found there.