Regional Program · Est. 2016
The Collegiate Institutes.
Launched in 2016 with the support of the John M. Belk Endowment, the Collegiate Institutes began in Charlotte and now serve talented students across five American cities. The format is different from the Washington summer — comprehensive, academic-year programming with Saturday sessions, city-specific speaker series, and a local cohort. The standard is the same.
Five Cities
Where the work happens.
Each Collegiate Institute is grounded in the community it serves — shaped by local mentors, local institutions, and the talent of young men already rooted there.
Atlanta
GA
Charlotte
NC
Durham
NC
Greensboro
NC
New York
NY
Saturday sessions, year-round
Monthly Saturday convenings bring scholars into sustained contact with mentors, practitioners, and one another. The format is substantial — a morning seminar, a working lunch with a visiting leader, and an afternoon workshop.
Private meetings with senior leaders
Cohorts sit with federal judges, college presidents, CEOs, clergy, and elected officials. These are not keynote talks; they are small-room conversations designed for genuine exchange.
An annual national conference
Once each year, all five regional cohorts convene in one city for a national networking conference — connecting scholars across the country to each other and to the broader Institute alumni community.
Stipends for attendance
The program honors scholars' time. Attendance at Saturday sessions is supported with a stipend so that no qualified young man is kept out by the cost of transit or the need to work weekends.
What's Next
Cities under consideration.
We are actively working to bring the Collegiate Institute model to additional cities. The metros below are on our expansion roadmap — partners, mentors, and prospective scholars are welcome to reach out.
- Baltimore
- Boston
- Chicago
- Dallas
- Denver
- Houston
- Los Angeles
- Memphis
- Miami
- Nashville
- Philadelphia
- Richmond
- San Francisco
- St. Louis
- Washington
For any questions about the Collegiate Institutes, email Colin Ganges — cganges@theinstitute.net.
Join the Mission
Apply to a Collegiate Institute in your city.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis for cohorts in Atlanta, Charlotte, Durham, Greensboro, and New York.