The heart of the Morehead-Cain experience is the Summer Enrichment Program—four diverse summers designed to help scholars explore the world and their place in it. These four experiences—Outdoor Leadership, Civic Collaboration, Global Perspective, and Professional Experience—provide a strategic framework from which scholars gain confidence, independence, global awareness, and hands-on experience.
The Summer Enrichment Program provides experiences that many students might not be able to arrange or afford on their own. With the full resources of the Morehead-Cain Alumni network and the friends and staff of the Foundation behind them, scholars have practically limitless opportunities at their fingertips.
Scholars receive a stipend each summer to cover their expenses, including travel and housing. They also benefit from a legacy of more than 3,300 Morehead-Cain Alumni who are eager to help the next generation of scholars in their journey.
The First Summer: Outdoor Leadership
During the summer between their senior year in high school and their first year at Carolina, scholars embark on a leadership course in the North American wilderness. The courses are designed to challenge scholars—mentally, emotionally, and physically—and to provide an experience as invaluable as it is unforgettable.
The Second Summer: Civic Collaboration
After a summer spent learning about their personal limits, scholars in their second summer turn their focus to outward impact. Small groups of scholars engage in a “deep dive” into a specific city, getting to know its identity and spirit while grappling with its challenges and enjoying its strengths.
The Third Summer: Global Perspective
The third summer sends rising junior and senior scholars across the globe to dig into areas of personal interest. Scholars customize the summer by choosing either to conduct an independent, in-depth research project or to explore a particular industry through an internship.
The Final Summer: Professional Experience
The four summers culminate with an opportunity for rising junior and senior scholars to dip their toes into post-collegiate waters. They’ll try on professional life through a formal internship—likely through the extensive Morehead-Cain Alumni network—or scholars may choose to pursue business ideas of their own.
“The Morehead-Cain Scholarship changed my life in a profound and unexpected way. I am where I am today thanks to their ongoing support and encouragement through every part of my winding path.”
Charlotte Dorn ’23