From BGSU OFFICE OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Bowling Green State University is hosting 25 emerging African leaders for a six-week academic and leadership institute sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.
The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative, empowers young African leaders through academic coursework, leadership training and networking opportunities. Fellows are from every country in Sub-Saharan Africa and have established records of accomplishment in promoting innovation and positive change in their organizations and communities. This cohort is part of a larger group of 1,000 fellows studying at institutions across the United States this summer.
The institute will draw on the experience of the fellows, BGSU faculty and students, and local and regional partners to explore four topics of mutual concern: migration/refugee/human trafficking, youth poverty, civic leadership and engagement, and women’s rights/minority rights/disability.
“We hope that peer-to-peer interactions around critical community issues will help both the fellows and regional professionals and their organizations to gain new insights and strategies for civic leadership and action,” said Dr. V Jane Rosser, co-director of the institute and director of the Center for Community and Civic Engagement.
The institute will combine engaging seminars, interactive discussions and site visits to relevant organizations, businesses and agencies. Fellows will also engage in weekly community service projects with a variety of community partners. Professional development sessions will focus on social media use, constructing a persuasive argument, funding challenges, grant-seeking, activism and social organizing.
“The goal of the BGSU Civic Leadership Institute is to create lasting partnerships between Mandela Washington Fellows and Americans, to facilitate enduring networks, mutual learning and strategic cooperation,” said Dr. Christopher Frey, co-director of the institute and professor in the College of Education and Human Development. “We look forward to engaging these young leaders with partners in northwest Ohio.”
“Bowling Green State University and the broader northwest Ohio community are privileged to host these fellows that can be important gateways for social and economic cooperation between our region, the USA, and the fellows’ home countries. Such relationships are critical in today’s global society,” said Dr. Kefa Otiso, co-director of the institute and University Professor of Service Excellence in the School of Earth, Environment, and Society.
