The Hart Leadership Program is a distinctive Sanford School of Public Policy program offered to all Duke University undergraduates, including public policy students. With guidance from innovative faculty, it challenges students to practice the art of leadership in public life.
Our Approach
- Courses give students analytical frameworks for grappling with the problems facing our global community.
- Immersion experiences outside the classroom help students see how policy works in the real world.
- Writing and discussion challenge students to reflect critically on their experiences and make sense of them.
- One-on-one mentoring helps students develop the skills, confidence and motivation to translate their learning into action.
Sample Classes
Preparing Public Leaders
"Through innovative teaching and thoughtful community engagement, the Hart Leadership Program has inspired generations of Sanford students to pursue worthy public purposes.” – HLP Director Andrew Nurkin
2025-2026 Hart Fellows
Since 1995, 113 graduating seniors or recent Duke graduates have been awarded the Hart Fellowship. Hart Fellows partner with community organizations around the globe and throughout the US for a 10-month fellowship. The goal of the Hart Fellowship is to create a mutually beneficial, sustainable and ongoing relationship between young leaders and communities. Together, they address complex challenges in innovative ways, allowing the fellows to develop their own vision of ethical leadership.
Carina Lei
Carina is spending her Hart Fellowship year in California with the Orange County Asian Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA), a local non-profit. Carina is researching the relationship between OCAPICA’s clinical and nonclinical programming, examining ways community-based, integrated forms of engagement can both augment and improve existing mental health services.