BCI flagship program
BCI Leaders Program
An international program of roughly two weeks for students aged 11 to 17 in Boston and Cambridge. Themed classes, visits, Learning Activities, American mentoring and a business project carried from first idea to final presentation.
The full BCI Leaders Program cohort gathered on the lawn in bright sun, in front of a white colonnade and a gilded university cupola.
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Overview
An academic experience inside the Boston and Cambridge ecosystem
The BCI Leaders Program brings together academic content, direct contact with the region's university and business environment, and the development of an original project. Students live the routine of an American campus and put what they study into practice. The program runs for roughly two weeks, traditionally in the first half of July, across Boston, Cambridge, Waltham and the surrounding region, with workshops and educational activities held on the Harvard University campus, labs and visits at MIT, and classes and activities on the Bentley University campus.
- Audience
- Ages 11 to 17
- Duration
- About two weeks
- Location
- Boston, Cambridge and Waltham
- Format
- Campus experience
- Running since
- 2012
Academic content
What students study
The curriculum pairs business fundamentals with the skills that leadership rests on. Every topic is studied to be applied to the project each student builds during the program.
Program topics
- Entrepreneurship
- Business and innovation
- Leadership
- Artificial intelligence applied to business
- Communication and public speaking
- Project development
Skills developed
- Critical thinking and problem solving
- Teamwork
- Initiative and independence
- Public presentation
- Global mindset
Content that leaves the room the same day.
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Themed classes
Short, focused blocks with immediate application
Themed classes organize the program into clear blocks. Each topic is introduced, discussed as a group and connected to the project students build throughout the experience.
The format favors participation: discussion, team exercises and work students produce themselves, rather than lecturing from start to finish.
Classes, workshops and activities are taught in English by educators and professionals, on the campuses where the program takes place. Basic, intermediate and advanced levels of English are all welcome: studying in another language is part of the experience, and the program helps students sharpen it.
Visits and Learning Activities
The city as part of the curriculum
Visits take the group to universities, research centers, companies and innovation spaces across Boston, Cambridge, Waltham and the surrounding region, including labs and visits at MIT and campus tours at Harvard University, MIT and Bentley University. Each visit has a defined academic purpose and is revisited in class.
Learning Activities complete the experience with cultural and social activities that are part of the program's formation, not an add on.
The city goes on the schedule, hour by hour.
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Boston and Cambridge become an extension of the classroom.
Typical activities from recent editions
- MIT Lab
- Museum of Science Boston
- Harvard University Tour
- MIT Tour
- Bentley University Tour
- MIT Museum
- Concert at the ICA with Berklee School of Music students
- Duck Tours
- Red Sox Stadium Tour
- Sports and recreational activities
- Shopping day
Drawn from recent editions of the program. The schedule for each edition may vary.
Someone hears the idea before the room does.
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American mentoring
Mentors who follow the project closely
Students are mentored by American professionals while developing their projects. The mentor listens to the idea, challenges assumptions, points out what needs stronger evidence and helps prepare the final presentation.
Outside of class, the groups are accompanied by students from American universities, close to the participants in age and living the reality of a US campus. Professionals and educators stay with the group throughout the program.
It is where students first meet the standard of an international professional environment, still inside a space built for learning.
Business project
From spotting a problem to the final pitch
Every participant develops a Business Development project during the program, creating a company, a product or a service, across six stages.
Identification
Recognizing a real problem and the people it affects.
Ideation
Generating alternatives and choosing the solution to develop.
Development
Building the proposal: model, feasibility and differentiator.
Mentoring
Reviewing the project with American mentors and adjusting course.
Communication
Shaping the narrative and preparing the presentation material.
Presentation
The final pitch, delivered to the group at the Closing Ceremony.
Closing Ceremony
The close that gives the experience its shape
The Closing Ceremony ends the program with the presentation of the projects and the delivery of certificates.
What students built during the experience is presented publicly, in front of the group and the BCI team. It is the final record of a path that began with a question and ended with a project defended out loud.
The program ends with students defending their own work.
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Campus life
Routine, community and independence
Participants stay in university dormitories on campus, with an organized routine of classes, activities and time together. Living away from home in another country, with constant support, is part of what the program teaches.
Two weeks living on a campus.
Bentley University campus · Waltham
University dormitories
Housing in dormitories on a university campus, preferably Bentley University or another leading institution in the region.
Shared rooms
Rooms for two participants, with separate wings for boys and girls. Bed linen and towels are provided.
Meals
Breakfast and dinner on campus. Lunches happen at a range of restaurants around the city as part of the cultural experience, and the schedule includes two special dinners at local restaurants.
Daily transfers
The group travels on the classic American Yellow School Bus, always accompanied by the team.
Academic routine
Days organized around classes, visits, team work and mentoring, shared with a group gathered around the same goal.
Continuous support
The BCI team is present in class, in transit and on campus.
Operations and safety
For families
BCI has worked with teenagers since 2012 and operates with its own protocols for supervision, housing, transport and family communication.
Full supervision
The team accompanies the group in class, on visits and on campus.
Daily contact with families
Parents are contacted online at the end of each day, alongside a direct channel with BCI throughout the experience.
Participant Guide
Before departure, every participant receives the Participant Guide, covering preparation, daily routine and program rules.
Schedule for families
Families receive the final schedule, with the day by day programming, before departure.
Housing and transport
University dormitories, daily transfers on the American Yellow School Bus and itineraries defined in advance.
Defined protocols
Clear procedures for health, transport and the unexpected.
Partnership with Singularis
BCI operates in partnership with Singularis, a travel agency with more than 30 years of experience, responsible for the logistics of the trips.
Gallery
Moments from the program
Real moments from recent editions of the BCI Leaders Program in Boston and Cambridge.
BCI archive
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2012 • 2027 — Leading the Future
BCI Leaders Program 2027 – 15th Anniversary Edition
In 2027 the program turns 15 with a commemorative edition in Boston and Cambridge.
Contact
Talk to BCI about the Leaders Program
Send an email and the BCI team will reply with the program details.
bci@bcieducation.com