PROGRAM OVERVIEW 2023
WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW... College educated, Jesus-following leaders
WHY DGL?
WHY NOW?
• Higher education is out of reach for many of the world’s poorest and most marginalized • Only 6.7% of the world's population has a college degree • Two-thirds of the 796 million people who are illiterate are women
Well-positioned as a pipeline to higher education, Young Life Developing Global Leaders (DGL) awards full-ride scholarships to select, high-potential Young Life leaders around the world to receive a university education in their own country.
EXPECTED
OUTCOMES GRADUATE FROM A UNIVERSITY To date, the program has had 774 college graduates since inception in 2009 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DGL graduates continue to be thriving contributors to the health of their local church and communities at large CONTINUED INVOLVEMENT WITH YOUNG LIFE 70% of graduates stay involved as Young Life staff, volunteers, and financial partners in their local communities
THE POWER OF
EDUCATION • Strengthens local economies • Raises national growth • Improves health and hygiene • Protects women – making them less vulnerable to violence, child marriage, and harmful practices • Builds better futures for themselves and their families
En gi ne B er us in in g es /C s om / E c Sc pu ono ie te m nc r S ic s e / M cien M c ed e ed Ed ici ia / C Soc uc ne Th a eo D om ial tio lo es m Sci n gy ig un en / C n / ic ce hr Ar atio is t / n tia M s n La M usic in w an Lan ist d gu ry D a ip ge lo s m ac O y th er
DGL
AT A GLANCE
DEVELOPING GLOBAL LEADERS
AREA OF STUDY
30
20
10
922 GRADUATES
0
34% ON YOUNG LIFE STAFF
7% PURSUING ADVANCED DEGREES
70% STILL INVOLVED IN YOUNG LIFE
50% ARE WOMEN
94%
STAY IN HOME COUNTRY
DGL GRADUATES
TOTAL TO DATE (09/2023)
100
2009
SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED 125
2019 2023
Today, the DGL program is on target to expand to 250 scholarships awarded annually by 2025 across 77+ countries. Those DGL students, together with the
200
leaders they recruit, can know 1 million
250
2025
young people by name and share the Gospel with them.
DGL STUDENTS
1,830 457 TOTAL TO DATE
CURRENT ACTIVE
DEVELOPING GLOBAL LEADERS
+200
INCOMING CLASS 15 STUDENTS
DGL ALUMNI IN
LEADERSHIP 93 Area Directors 9 Regional Directors 6 Assoc. Regional Directors 4 Country Directors 8 Metro Directors 1 VP of International Ops
REPRESENTING
77
COUNTRIES
Meli Campos - Costa Rica 2017 DGL Graduate Country Director
Nkosi Sampindi - Zimbabwe 2015 DGL Graduate VP of International Ops
YEAR 5 - 2013 46 countries
YEAR 10 - 2018 68 countries YEAR 15 - 2023 77 countries
ONGOING IMPACT 5,055 kids in Campaigner groups led by DGLs 10,743 kids taken to camp by DGLs in the 2022-23 16,656 new leaders recruited by DGLs since 2009 $50,108.44 given back by DGL alumni in 2022-23 to support Developing Global Leaders program and their local ministry.
Sergei Shevchenko - Ukraine 2014 DGL Graduate Regional Director
MAKING A
GLOBAL IMPACT SINCE 2009
As of 2023, DGL students have represented 77 of the 104 countries where Young Life has active ministry.
AFRICA / MIDDLE EAST Burundi Congo (DRC) Côte d’Ivoire Eswatini Ethiopia Ghana Israel Kenya Liberia Malawi Mali Morocco Mozambique Nigeria Palestine Rwanda Senegal Sierra Leone South Africa Tanzania Uganda Zambia Zanzibar Zimbabwe
LATIN AMERICA / CARIBBEAN Argentina Bahamas Belize Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Costa Rica Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador Guatemala Haiti Honduras Mexico Nicaragua Panama Peru Virgin Islands (U.S.)
MIDDLE EURASIA Armenia Belarus Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Moldova Russia Tajikistan Ukraine Uzbekistan
EUROPE Albania Belgium* Bulgaria Czech Republic France* Germany* Hungary Netherlands* North Macedonia Norway* Poland Portugal* Republic of Ireland* Romania Spain* Sweden* Switzerland* United Kingdom*
ASIA PACIFIC Bangladesh India Mongolia Nepal Philippines Vietnam
*While DGL focuses on students in challenging economic and developing world situations, students in developed European countries participate in the same program to bring light where there is spiritual poverty.
DGL
SPONSORSHIP FULL SPONSORSHIP: $250/month $3,000/ year $12,000/ 4-year total PARTIAL SPONSORSHIP starts at any level SPONSORSHIP PROVIDES College tuition and fees Ministry and leadership training expenses Small living stipend to cover transportation and other costs
QUICK
FACTS Young Life DGL is in 77 countries DGL has awarded over 1,800 full-ride scholarships since the program began in 2009 DGL currently awards 200 full-ride scholarships each year 30% of DGL graduates are hired as full-time Young Life staff
LEARN MORE
dgl.younglife.org