This purpose of the application is to better understand your background and motivation for joining the course. You can see the application here.

We suggest setting aside at least 20-30 minutes to complete the application and we have made all the questions available for you to check out and prepare in advance here.

Kindly note that applications are reviewed in three rounds:

• Scholarship Round - March 15
• Second Round - May 1st
• Final Application Round - May 22
• Rolling Applications Open - May 23 - June 27 for Costa Rica Cohort AND those interested in Virtual Track Only

Apply online here: https://bit.ly/impactinnovationcourseapplication2026

FULL COURSE* = Sliding scale tuition and includes 5 on-campus days, 14 virtual sessions, 3 coaching sessions, all materials, and certificate. See full course details here.

The full course costs cover the 5-day in-person program (daily round trip bus transport to campus, 5 lunches, 2 dinners off site, daily coffee/tea/meals), course materials, 14 virtual sessions, 3 coaching sessions, and a certifcate granted by the United Nations Centre for Executive Education. Note

SLIDING SCALE TUITION

• Student/NGO = USD 4940 (Impact Ecosystem Rate - 20% off = USD 3952)
• Public Sector / Academia = USD 5940 (Impact Ecosystem Rate - 20% off = USD 4752)
• Private Sector = USD 6940 (Impact Ecosystem Rate - 20% off = USD 5552)

WEEKEND RESIDENCY = USD 580 and Includes 2-day intensive. See full details Weeked Residency here.

VIRTUAL SESSIONS ONLY = USD 980 (Impact Ecosystem Rate - 20% off = USD 784) and includes all sessions plus certificate. See virtual session details here.

*Note- applications are accepted on a rolling basis and there are a limited number of seats available for the in person course component.

We want to acknowledge and celebrate all of the organisations, networks and companies that have an impact oriented mission and do good work in service of people and planet.

If you currently work (or have worked), volunteer (or have volunteered) and/or are affiliated (i.e. member of the network, fellow, etc) in an impact first organization. you will have the opportunity to add this to your application to benefit from the 20% off course cost and tuition.

Organizations and networks we admire and consider allies in impact driven contributions to the world include :

60 Decibles, ARTHAN, Acumen, AIME, Ashoka, ATMOS, Brave Earth, B Corp / B Lab,Biomimicry GlobalNetwork, CatalystNow,ChangeNowNetwork, Climate Asia, Climate Collective, ClimateReality Project, Culture Hack Labs, Dark Matter Labs, Design for America, Donut Economics Action Lab, Echoing Green, EcoFriends Saajedaariya SDDBtSD, Envisioning,GlobalShapers Community (WEF), HATCH, Houseof Beautiful Business, Impact Alpha, Impact Hub Global, InnerDevelopment Goals, Innrwrks, Integral, International Development Design Summit Network (IDDS),InternationalDevelopment Innovation Association (IDIA), League of Intrapraneurs, MIT D-Lab, Net Impact Network,Next Billion,Next GenerationForesight Practitioners Network, Oak Foundation, Opportunity Collaboration, Peace and Collaborative Development Network (PCDN), Pioneers Post,PresencingInstitute (U.Lab / MIT), Radical Ecology, Royal Society of the Arts (RSA), School of International Futures, School of Systems Change, Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship,Skoll World ForumNetwork, SOCAPCommunity, Social Innovation Exchange (EdelGive with SIX),Stanford Social Innovation Review, SI Network, Sustainable Oceans Alliance, Tech Change, Terra.do, The Collaborative for Systemic Climate Action, Top Tier Impact, Transcap Initiative, The Years Project, United Nations agencies, UnreasonableGroup, We Don't Have Time, WellbeingEconomy Alliance, Wellbeing Project, YPO (Young PresidentsOrganization).

If you don't see the impact oriented organization, yet you believe should be included, please drop us a message below and we will be happy to consider including them.

Note, the list above is an organic and crowdsourced curation of organizations led by our team and network.

We held a live 'meet the faculty and Q&A' Zoom session on Monday, April 13. You can also see the faculty and team here. If you were unable to join you can access the recording here.

In some cases companies, organizations and employers have professional development resources available to help sponsor a participant's attendance.

If you are interested in requesting this or having your time sponsored here is a letter template that may be helpful in the process.

The core course themes include Impact Innovation, Systemic Design, Applied Artificial Intelligence, Conscious Leadership and a cross cutting dimension of Peace and Conflict Analysis. The curriculum is designed by faculty with first hand, deep practice and curation experience - so in short, the pedagogical approach bridges theory, real world application and practice.

It may be helpful to understand some of the core starting points in terms of the Impact Innovation course context:

• Impact Innovation - How can we uplift the benefits of innovation for society and the environment, while reducing the harms? In this course context, we start with taking inclusive innovation as our core frame - the pursuit of innovation that has social and environmental aims, greater justice and liberation, and local context, at its heart- and ask how we can craft both processes and approaches that achieve the greatest possible impact. The core content draws upon the academic book 'Inclusive Innovation', published and co-authored by faculty (2022), yet explores contemporary processes to put these intentions into play. Participants are encouraged to bring their own live case - a challenge or opportunity they would like to work through.

• Systemic Design - in this context, also includes systems leadership, grounded in the insight that lasting change requires shifts not only in interventions, but in the underlying systems that shape behaviour and outcomes. In this course, participants will be guided by a process that includes a blend of human-centered / life-centered design and systems thinking approaches. We will also follow four iterative phases: Co-initialising, through listening and building shared intent; Co-sensing, through pattern mapping and sensemaking; Co-creating, through the design of system-level interventions; and Co-synthesising, by translating insight into coordinated action and learning communities. A pivotal step in the Systemic Design process will also be the identification of leverage points, or spaces and places in a system, where strategic interventions could generate the greatest systemic impact. This part of the course will feature a real world case study (being published by Springer Nature now) and will allow participants to bring their own "real world" challenge to the table and get past what may look and feel like jargon.

• Applied AI - is the practice of using AI intentionally and purposefully to solve real problems and create impact - asking not just what AI can do, but whether, when, and for whom. We’ll explore the mindsets, design choices, and ethical frameworks that allow leaders to integrate AI consciously (and know when not to) - building genuine belief and ability rather than surface-level tool familiarity. It focuses on developing practical fluency across real use cases: from research, systems mapping to sense-making, strategy, and community work, and always grounded in your own context and values. The outcome is for participants to develop their personal approach to AI that holds wellbeing, equity, and purpose at the center - and the clarity, agency and confidence to keep evolving it. Applied AI is using AI to do real things that matter to you, rather than learning about AI in the abstract, along with the system of mindset, principles, methods and skills that go alongside that.

• Conscious Leadership - means developing the inner capacity and capabilties required to create aligned, meaningful and regenerative change in collaboration with community, nature, and life itself. In the course we will explore and apply various somatic tools that also awaken intuition, while in parallel, building skills for nervous system 'reset' and grounding. In this sense, applied conscious leadership is also about examining the relationships and belief systems we hold with self, others and the world. Those who join in person will also have opportunties to explore what a holistic way of addressing complex leadership challenges aross a pluriverse of realities.

This course is for those who feel curiosity, interest and resonance with the key themes. This means that age and background will vary.

Most of the applications we have received to-date are from those who are in their 30s and 40s - yet some younger and older as well. As an executive education course, the experience is designed as professional development for those coming from a variety of backgrounds - people working across sectors and disciplines who share a commitment to positive systems impact.

Perhaps you identify with one - or many - of the following profiles: Impact Entrepreneurs, Corporate Leaders, Public Sector Innovators, Consultants & Coaches, Mid-career Professionals and Cross Sector & Intersectional Players.

As noted above there are three application rounds. If your application is successful you will receive a formal invitation to register which requires you to confirm your commitment and submit a non-refundable 50% deposit within 15 days upon acceptance.

All participants will be required to pay the balance in full by June 1st. A wait list will be developed if full capacity is reached.

One you are accepted, invited to register and pay the 50% course deposit you will then receive an Official Welcome Package that will outline the onboarding experience.

To be eligible to earn the Certificate from the Centre for Executive Education in "Impact Innovation: Systemic Design, Applied AI & Conscious Leadership" you will need to attend all five days in full and complete all reflection forms for the Virtual Class Sessions; note, the 1-1 coaching sessions are not required but encouraged. For those that join the Virtual Class Sessions only, you will receive a Certificate that denotes participation in the Virtual experience.

In summary there are two different tracks for certificates 1) Full Course - for those that join the course in person and virtually and 2) Virtual Only. The rationale of this differentiation is that the amount of contact and learning hours vary significantly and the certification titles reflect this differentiation.

The Weekend Residencies are optional add-ons and not required. However, these have been developed for registered participants who are interested to go deeper with the community and content.

There are a limited number of seats which are offered on a first come, first served rolling basis. In the online application you will have the chance to select if you would like to be considered to join one, both or neither.

Yes registered participants can join both residencies as long as there is capacity. These will be offered on a first come, first served rolling basis.

During the second half of July there will be 2 virtual onboarding sessions and the remaining 12 will take place in September, October and November.

The live Virtual Sessions will be held on Zoom for 75 minutes each and recorded for those that are not able to join.

For participants interested in earning the certificate, there will be a reflection form required for each session which will be due at the end of November. We recommend budgeting 2 hours per session.

Anyone can apply for a scholarship, yet priority will be given to those that have expressed financial need.

For participants that register and pay the course deposit, an Official Welcome Package will be shared, which includes details of accommodation options that other Executive Education students have enjoyed in the past, along with homestay arrangements for those that may be interested to stay with local families. Please note, the course tuition does not include accommodation nor is the course team responsible for bookings.

The University for Peace (UPEACE) was established by the United Nations to “provide humanity with an international institution of higher education for peace and with the aim of promoting among all human beings the spirit of understanding, tolerance and peaceful coexistence.” It was founded in 1980 in Costa Rica under UN General Assembly Resolution 35/55.

For nearly four decades, UPEACE Costa Rica has continued its pursuit of academic excellence through the systematic and critical study, understanding, and analysis of the causes of multiple problems affecting human and global well-being. Through its rich Faculty body of Resident and Visiting Professors, UPEACE trains future leaders for peace to explore and formulate strategies and practices in various contexts to address such problems and contribute to the processes of peacebuilding and peace formation.

Every year, some 140 to 200 students from nearly 60 countries around the world follow a nine-month Master of Arts Programme at UPEACE Costa Rica in two semesters. See more here and enjoy the quick overview video here.

The University for Peace (UPEACE) was established in 1980 through a United Nations General Assembly Resolution, making it the only university in the world created by the UN with the specific mandate of “engaging in teaching, research, post-graduate training and dissemination of knowledge fundamental to the full development of the human person and societies through the interdisciplinary study of all matters relating to peace.”

This unique history provides UPEACE with a global legal authorization to grant Master’s and Doctoral degrees.

The legal status of UPEACE degrees is as follows:

1. States Parties to the International Agreement for the Establishment of UPEACE: 41 countries have formally signed this foundational treaty, legally recognizing UPEACE’s authority to issue post-graduate degrees.

2. Non-Signatory States: As UPEACE was established by consensus through a UN General Assembly Resolution, all UN member states are expected to recognize the validity of its degrees under international law.

3. UPEACE Host Country: In 1982, the Government of Costa Rica signed a Headquarters Agreement with UPEACE, granting it the legal capacity to fulfill its academic mission. This allowed UPEACE to become a full member of Costa Rica’s National System of Higher Education Accreditation (SINAES) in 2008.

UPEACE degrees are verified by the International Association of Universities/UNESCO as having been obtained from an institution recognized by a competent national authority.

Several UPEACE Master’s programs have also been accredited by SINAES in Costa Rica, including:

• Department of Environment and Development: M.A. in Environment, Development and Peace (effective date: March 2014)
• Department of International Law: M.A. in International Law and Human Rights, M.A. in International Law and the Settlement of Disputes (effective date: May 2016)
• Department of Peace and Conflict Studies: M.A. in International Peace Studies , M.A. in International Peace Studies with a specialisation in Media, Peace and Conflict Studies (effective date: February 2024)
• Department of Peace and Conflict Studies: M.A. in Gender and Peacebuilding (effective date: April 2024)
• Department of Peace and Conflict Studies: M.A. in Peace Education (effective date: March 2025)
• Department of Regional Studies: Maestría en Resolución de Conflictos, Paz y Desarrollo (effective date: April 2025)

Over the years, thousands of individuals from around the world have graduated from UPEACE with Master’s and Doctoral degrees. UPEACE Alumni work in government agencies, international and non-governmental organizations, and many are employed within the UN system, contributing to the advancement of global peace. See more here.

One of the most amazing things about studying on campus is the nature and beautiful surroundings. You can see an introduction by one of the Costa Rican team member on the video here to get a better sense of the nature you will encounter.

Each day includes interactive workshops across the core themes of Systemic Design, Applied AI, and Conscious Leadership. There are also sessions dedicated to peace and conflict analysis, guided reflection, nature-based learning, and peer dialogue. The week is designed to support you in applying frameworks directly to your own work, leadership context, and projects.

Included in the 5-day experience are daily lunch, tea and coffee, participant bus pickup and drop-off, an opening welcoming dinner on Monday, and a closing celebration dinner on Friday. Bus stops are located in Ciudad Colón, Santa Ana, and Escazú.

Accommodation, travel to and from Costa Rica/campus, and dinners on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are not included. This allows participants flexibility to choose accommodation that fits their budget and preferences. Guidance will be shared after registration.

The course includes 14 virtual sessions with global practitioners. Themes include pluriverse futures and foresight, nature-based and Indigenous wisdom, regenerative leadership, narrative for impact, ecosystem collaboration, and regenerative philanthropy- amongst other 'edge' theme and topics. Sessions are 75 minutes each and recorded.

Two onboarding sessions take place in July. The remaining sessions run mainly from September through November. We recommend budgeting approximately two hours per session if you plan to complete the reflection requirements for the certificate.

In terms of style the sessions are curated & designed to offer insights that provoke, inspire, help you learn and unlearn. Think podcast energy, TED style moments of wisdom, with 'around the fireside' vibes. Many sessions will have more than one conversational partner, so expect to be invited in to participate and connect. You can see the faculty here.

Three individual coaching sessions are available to support you in applying course themes to your own context. You may choose to hold them in person during the Costa Rica week (subject to availability) or virtually after the in-person portion concludes. Coaching sessions are encouraged but not required for certificate completion. All coaching sessions should be completed by the end of November.

This course is primarily designed for an in person experience, yet we understand that many factors may make participating on campus in Costa Rica difficult. For this reason, we also offer a Virtual Track for participation where you can join the 14 online sessions. Note, the application process remains the same and you can find out more details in the previous FAQ above.

We understand that for some people, bringing the family may be important and needed. While participants will be in class, on campus Monday through Friday (09:30 - 18:00) with group dinners on Monday and Friday of the 5 day intensive week, there are plenty of options for accompanying children and partners. If you would like to learn more about this in advance please reach out here.