Maxwell School to Host 2018 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders

The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs has been selected for the fifth consecutive year as an Institute Partner for the 2018 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. Beginning in mid-June, the Maxwell School will host 25 of Africa’s bright, emerging Public Management leaders for a six-week Academic and Leadership Institute, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.

Members of the 2018 Young African Leaders Initiative

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. Since 2014, the U.S. Department of State has brought 3,000 young leaders from across Sub-Saharan Africa to the United States to develop their leadership skills and foster connections and collaborations with U.S. professionals.  The cohort of fellows hosted by the Maxwell School will be part of a larger group of 700 Mandela Washington Fellows hosted at 27 institutions across the United States this summer.

At the end of their institutes, these exceptional young leaders will meet  in Washington, D.C., for the fifth annual Mandela Washington Fellowship Summit, where they will take part in networking and panel discussions with each other and U.S. leaders from the public, private and nonprofit sectors. Following the Summit, 100 fellows will participate in six weeks of professional development training at U.S. non-governmental organizations, private companies and government agencies.

Working closely with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and its implementing partner, IREX, host institutions will offer academic and leadership programs that will challenge, inspire and empower these inspiring young leaders from Africa.

Some highlights of the Maxwell School program will include:

• Fellows will connect with city, county and state leaders through site visits (including a trip to Albany for a tour of the State Capitol).
• Fellows will give back to the community through service opportunities at the Salvation Army, the Central New York Community Foundation and the Samaritan Center.
• Fellows will make off-site visits to New York City and Niagara Falls.

For additional information about the Mandela Washington Fellowship Institute at the Maxwell School, please contact Ronda Garlow at 315.443.5612.

The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is a program of the U.S. Department of State and administered by IREX.  For more information about the Mandela Washington Fellowship, visit yali.state.gov/mwf and join the conversation at #YALI2018.