Cambridge College to host Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders
Cambridge College has been selected as a partner with the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. Beginning in mid-June, Cambridge College will host 25 of Africa’s brightest emerging business and entrepreneurship leaders for a six-week academic and leadership institute sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.
The Mandela Washington Fellowship, the flagship program of President Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), empowers young African leaders through academic coursework, leadership training, mentoring, networking, professional opportunities and support for activities in their communities. Fellows are young leaders from Sub-Saharan Africa who have established records of accomplishment in promoting innovation and positive change in their organizations, institutions, communities and countries. The cohort of Fellows hosted by Cambridge College will be part of a larger group of 1,000 Mandela Washington Fellows hosted at institutions across the United States this summer. These exceptional young leaders will meet at the end of their institutes in Washington, D.C. for a Presidential Summit; select Fellows will also spend six weeks in professional development training with U.S. non-governmental organizations, private companies and government agencies.
“We are extremely excited to be one of the top U.S. colleges and universities nationwide selected to host 25 of the 2016 Mandela Washington Fellows this summer,” said Deborah C. Jackson, President of Cambridge College. “President Obama’s initiative deeply resonates with the social justice mission of Cambridge College to empower individuals to become catalysts of change in their communities. We are honored to participate in this important national and global initiative that endeavors to build strong relationships for our work and collective growth as global citizens.”
Working closely with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational Affairs and its implementing partner, IREX, host institutions have designed academic programs that will challenge, inspire and empower these inspiring young leaders from Africa.
Some highlights of the Cambridge College program will include plenaries and workshops by leading business entrepreneurs in the Greater Boston area, site visits to innovative industry leaders in healthcare, finance, technology, transportation & education, engagement with peer collaborators to build opportunities for shared dialogue supportive of international partnerships and the ongoing work of Fellows in their home countries and arts and cultural experiences designed to immerse YALI fellows in the vibrancy of American culture in the New England area.
The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is a U.S. government program that is supported in its implementation by IREX. For more information about the Mandela Washington Fellowship, visit MandelaWashingtonFellowship.state.gov and join the conversation with #YALI2016.
