The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs is proud to announce its selection as an Institute Partner for the 2024 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 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. Established in 2014, the Mandela Washington Fellowship is celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2024. Maxwell has hosted 229 fellows since 2014. Since its inception, nearly 6,500 young leaders from every country in Sub-Saharan Africa have participated in the Mandela Washington Fellowship. The cohort of fellows hosted by the Maxwell School will be part of a group of 700 Mandela Washington Fellows hosted at 28 educational institutions across the United States. 

Some highlights of Maxwell’s program will include the opportunity for fellows to:

• Connect with collaborators at the Central New York Community Foundation, CenterState CEO, Blackstone Launchpad, the Onondaga Historical Association, and the Skä•noñh Great Law of Peace Center
• Give back to the community through service opportunities at All Saints Parish, The Samaritan Center, Boys and Girls Club, Clear Path for Veterans, and Thornden Park
• Meeting members of the community at summer events in the Central New York area and through events hosted on and around the Syracuse University campus

 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.

For additional information about the Mandela Washington Fellowship Leadership Institute at the Maxwell School, contact the Maxwell Mandela Washington Fellowship team at maxwellyali@syr.edu.