Kansas State University is proud to announce its selection as an Institute Partner for the 2023 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. Beginning in mid-June, K-State will host 25 of Africa’s bright, emerging Civic Engagement leaders for a six-week Leadership Institute, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.
The Mandela Washington Fellowship, the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), empowers young African leaders through academic coursework, leadership training, mentoring, networking, professional opportunities, and local community engagement. YALI was created in 2010 and supports young Africans as they spur economic growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance, and enhance peace and security across Africa. Since 2014, the U.S. Department of State has supported nearly 5,800 Mandela Washington Fellows from across Sub-Saharan Africa to develop their leadership skills and foster connections and collaboration with U.S. professionals. The cohort of Fellows hosted by K-State will be part of a group of 700 Mandela Washington Fellows hosted at 28 educational institutions across the United States.
After their Leadership Institutes, Fellows will participate in the Mandela Washington Fellowship Summit, where they will take part in networking and panel discussions with each other and with U.S. leaders from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Following the Summit, up to 100 competitively-selected Fellows will participate in four weeks of professional development with U.S. non-governmental organizations, private companies, and government agencies.
Funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and implemented by IREX, Leadership Institutes will offer programs that will challenge, motivate, and empower young leaders from Africa to tackle the challenges of the 21st century.
Some highlights of the Kansas State University program will include
- Fellows will connect with local partners through site visits to local businesses, Manhattan City Hall, the State Capitol in Topeka and a service and civic tour in Kansas City.
- Fellows will give back to the community through service opportunities at Furniture Amnesty Day, mobile food distributions, and Special Olympics.
- You can meet the Fellows at networking events that will be announced in April and May, and through contacting the Staley School of Leadership.
For additional information about the Mandela Washington Fellowship Leadership Institute at K-State, please email Chance Lee, Ph.D., at chance@ksu.edu or visit our website at www.k-state.edu/leadership/engagement/mandelawashingtonfellowship.html.
The Mandela Washington Fellowship is a program of the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by IREX. For more information about the Mandela Washington Fellowship, visit mandelawashingtonfellowship.org and join the conversation at #YALI2023.
This is so exciting!
I work for the Sustainable Intensification Innovation Lab–we have initiatives based in (5) West African countries, so this is exciting and would love to be a part!