Kivu Passion Scholars Program
The Kivu Passion Scholars Program is a 12-week summer mentorship program for local high school students who are passionate about exploring immigration and community impact through creative and intellectual inquiry. This program provides rising juniors, rising seniors, and graduating seniors the opportunity to develop a passion project under the guidance of local immigration attorneys, young professionals, and accomplished college student mentors from across the nation. The program takes place at the Kivu Law office in Worthington, Minnesota, with flexible scheduling to accommodate other summer commitments.
Applications for Summer 2026 are now open! Apply by May 25, 2026 at 11:59 PM. Decisions will be announced by May 29. Applications for the Winter 2026 cohort will open in November 2026. Please direct questions to luis@kivulaw.com.
Empowering Rural Youth Leaders
Students in rural communities often lack access to diverse professional mentorship and structured opportunities to explore careers in law, advocacy, policy, and community organizing. Many Worthington students have deep connections to immigration—as immigrants, refugees, children of immigrants, or engaged community members—but rarely have the chance to explore these experiences meaningfully or see how their stories connect to broader social issues.
The Kivu Passion Scholars Program addresses this gap by empowering students to turn their curiosity into action. Scholars identify a topic they care about, whether it’s a family story, a community issue, a policy question, or a creative inquiry, and develop a burning question to explore through a passion project. This program builds on the success of Kivu’s Summer Internship and Law Fellowship programs, now creating pathways for high school students to engage with immigration and community impact.
What will Kivu Passion Scholars gain from their summer experience?
- Triple mentorship model: Work one-on-one with a local immigration attorney or legal professional, receive guidance from a college student mentor (Kivu Internship alumni), and benefit from peer support within your scholar cohort.
- Hands-on project development: Create a meaningful passion project such as oral histories, podcasts, research papers, documentaries, community resource guides, policy analysis, creative writing, or multimedia art.
- Professional skills: Develop research, writing, interviewing, storytelling, public speaking, and civic engagement skills.
- Community showcase: Present your completed project at a public event, building confidence and gaining recognition for your work.
- College application materials: Walk away with a compelling project and narrative to strengthen college essays, resumes, and scholarship applications.
- Long-term professional network: Build lasting relationships with attorneys, professionals, and college mentors invested in your success.
- Access to resources: Utilize Kivu Law’s meeting space, case examples (with permission), legal frameworks, and community contacts to support your project.
Eligibility Requirements for Kivu Passion Scholars
- Applicant must be a current high school sophomore, junior, or senior (rising junior, rising senior, or graduating senior).
- Applicant must demonstrate curiosity about immigration, migration, community impact, or related topics.
- Applicant must commit to attending 1-2 group meetings per month and dedicating 5-8 hours per week to their passion project.
- Applicant must be in good academic standing (no specific GPA requirement).
- At the time of selection, applicant must be able to participate in the full 12-week program (late May through early August).
We welcome students of all backgrounds—whether you hold a personal connection to immigration or simply curious about these topics. No prior experience in research or creative projects is required. We’re looking for students with genuine curiosity, commitment, and potential for leadership.
Application Components
- Unofficial transcript (PDF or image upload)
- Personal Statement Short Response (300 Word Maximum)
- Leadership Short Essay (150 Word Maximum)
Application deadline: May 25, 2026 at 11:59 PM
Decisions announced: May 29, 2026
Apply here: https://forms.gle/i2ss72sW8hTVE3ji8
Questions?
Contact Luis Angel Mendoza, Program Coordinator & Legal Assistant at luis@kivulaw.com
