The U.S. Department of State and IREX are pleased to announce the eight U.S. educational institutions selected to host 2022 Alumni Enrichment Institutes, an opportunity for 2021 Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni to travel to the United States in summer 2022 to collaborate with U.S. counterparts and each other and to continue building the professional and leadership skills they developed during their virtual 2021 Leadership Institutes.
The Alumni Enrichment Institutes are a follow-on opportunity of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). 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 5,100 Mandela Washington Fellows from across Sub-Saharan Africa to develop their leadership skills and foster connections and collaboration with U.S. professionals.
Eight U.S. educational institutions in eight states will host Alumni Enrichment Institutes for approximately 200 2021 Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni. The two-week Alumni Enrichment Institutes will leverage experiential and discussion-based learning to provide Participants with broadly applicable knowledge about U.S. culture and society and immerse them in a U.S. community through community service, cultural exchange, strategic networking, and site visits. Each Institute will also offer insights into the United States’ diverse culture and society, resiliency and ethics in leadership, and social justice principles.
Prior to their two-week placements, Participants will attend Welcome Events in Washington, D.C., where they will engage with U.S. non-governmental organizations, private companies, and government agencies with an interest in Africa to develop mutual understanding through high-level sessions and workshops, forming a sustainable, prestigious network of effective leaders in critical sectors in Sub-Saharan Africa and the United States.
In addition to the knowledge and skills they gain, Alumni Enrichment Institute Participants will enrich their U.S. host communities through public service, cultural exchange, and the lasting personal ties they create during their program. From 2014-2021, Mandela Washington Fellows and Alumni have contributed more than 57,500 volunteer service hours to their host communities and since 2014 have connected with U.S. citizens at more than 2,400 organizations across the United States. U.S. citizens can also apply to travel to Africa and collaborate on projects with Fellowship Alumni through the Reciprocal Exchange.
2022 Alumni Enrichment Institutes
Cohorts of 25 Participants will be hosted by the following eight educational institutions across the United States for Alumni Enrichment Institutes this summer. These institutions represent the diversity of U.S. higher education, including public and private schools, rural and urban campuses, and small and large student populations.
- California State University, Dominguez Hills – Carson, California
- In partnership with Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science and the U.S. Africa Institute
- Dartmouth College – Hanover, New Hampshire
- Drexel University – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Foundation for International Understanding Through Students (FIUTS) at the University of Washington, Seattle – Seattle, Washington
- Georgia State University – Atlanta, Georgia
- Jackson State University – Jackson, Mississippi
- The University of Texas at Austin – Austin, Texas
- University of Massachusetts Amherst – Amherst, Massachusetts
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.