Kansas State University

You are invited to join Kansas State University and the Manhattan community in welcoming the 2023 Mandela Washington Fellows to campus.

The fellows will be on campus from June 21-July 30. We encourage you to join us for any of these events.

All three of these events will take place at the Leadership Studies building on the first floor in the lobby, Town Hall, and classrooms.

To attend any of these events, please fill out our registration form. Responses will be collected through Tuesday, June 20.

Opening Reception
4-6 p.m. Friday, June 23

Join us for a brief opening program in Town Hall followed by a reception. Heavy hors d’oeuvres and drinks will be served.

Having just arrived to the community, Fellows will be seeking connections and energy will be high. We look forward to this event each year to get to know them and learn about each Fellows’ “leadership for what?”. They look forward to this time to get to know our K-State community. Spend time networking with them and learning what passion they bring to their particular area of interest and how they plan to utilize leadership to impact change.

Manhattan Community Networking Event
4-5:30 p.m. Thursday, June 29

All members of the K-State and Manhattan community are welcome to attend this networking event. The purpose is to engage directly with the Fellows to learn about their individual work and passion and how they are implementing change in their community.

Graduation Ceremony
4-6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 27

We will say farewell and reflect on the Fellows’ journey during their time here.

Kansas State University will host 25 Mandela Washington Fellows for a Civic Leadership Institute facilitated by the Staley School of Leadership. The Mandela Washington Fellowship is the flagship program of the U.S. Department of State’s Young African Leaders Initiative. Fellows come from more than 20 different Sub-Saharan African nations and were selected for the program because of their civic leadership work.

The fellows bring diverse experiences. Their work includes these topics:

• rural community development
• youth development
• education
• women and girl’s rights
• disability advocacy
• sustainable agriculture development
• environmental sustainability

While they are in Manhattan, fellows will build a professional network. They will meet with community members who share a passion for civic leadership and leading change. This network can and will cultivate relationships focused on sharing best practices, working through leadership challenges, and building cross-cultural professional relationships.