1 · L.E.A.D. — FLAGSHIP

Learn, Engage, and Do! A three-part program for high-school students, one part per season. In LEAD Discovery, each student researches a real problem — literature review, interviews — and designs their own community-impact project with defined impact criteria and measurable metrics. In LEAD Launch, they run a real fundraising campaign to fund it (80% to their project, 20% to a milestone-earned shared pool). Students who complete both can earn a paid summer internship executing the project. Projects may attach to our Lubao, Philippines work with Cal Poly Pomona, or serve the student's own community.

• Independent projects — every student owns their whole arc, with mentor guidance
• Fully virtual — classes, mentoring, and project work online
• Published work at every stage: project pages, campaign stories, a press release, and a final showcase

2 · Research Scholarships

We award scholarships of $1,000–$5,000 (15–25 per year) so individuals can participate in educational programming focused on community-based research. Scholarships cover the expenses of doing the work in person — travel, housing, meals, and local transit — so students can engage directly with the communities they study.

• Open to high-school and college students; no geographic or field-of-study restrictions
• Competitive selection weighs GPA, extracurriculars, recommendations, financial need, and commitment to community engagement
• Cal Poly Pomona College of Environmental Design students are eligible through our partnership

To ask about scholarship availability for an upcoming cycle, email info@eattheelephant.org.

3 · Community Development Projects

Our flagship activity: multi-stage community needs assessment, action planning, and implementation with local partners. Current work, with Cal Poly Pomona and Lubao community leaders, covers four sites — San Pedro Palcarangan Elementary, St. Rita Elementary, the Santo Tomas Civic Center, and the Santo Tomas Farmland Park. Example initiatives across our projects include seed lending for local agriculture, infrastructure improvements (water, sanitation, community centers), public spaces and gardens, and teacher-volunteer courses in underserved communities.

4 · MIAP Med — Medical Immersion and Apprenticeship Program

Our hospital immersion program for future physicians, running since 2023 and hosted at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta — a Level 1 trauma center. Fellows shadow physicians daily, observe surgery, join rounds and lectures, and present an original research capstone in the hospital's Grand Lecture Hall. Two tracks: the residential Summer Fellowship ($5,397) and the one-week Clinical Practicum ($3,495), plus a $115 hospital intake fee. 2027 applications open November 1, 2026; the session runs July 26 – August 5, 2027. MIAP Med keeps its own site for applications at miapmed.org.