James Monroe’s Highland will host the Presidential Precinct and the participants from the Mandela Washington Fellowship, the flagship program of President Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative, on July 6 and 7. During their time at Highland, the Fellows will learn about James Monroe and the issues he faced as a leader in a young nation struggling to build strength in foreign affairs while incorporating regional diversity in political views and divisive issues on the national level. Through interactive activities and case studies, participants will learn effective communication strategies in diverse settings, and analyze case studies to evaluate the benefit of diversity and cross-cultural communication.
Comprised of two of America’s leading universities and three presidential sites in Virginia, the Presidential Precinct is 1 of 40 institutes, and the only consortium, to be selected for the Fellowship that will bring 1,000 emerging African leaders to the U.S. this year.
The Fellows, who are between the ages of 21 and 35, have established records of accomplishment in promoting innovation and positive change in their organizations, institutions, communities, and countries. 2016 Fellows attending the civic leadership institute at the Presidential Precinct represent 17 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, and all 49 countries are represented in the Fellowship nationwide. In 2015, fifty percent of Fellows were women, and for 76 percent of Fellows, it was their first experience spending substantial time in the United States.
“The Mandela Washington Fellowship helps the Presidential Precinct achieve its goal of strengthening global communities by empowering the next generation of influential leaders through education, collaboration and digital networking, said Neal Piper, Managing Director of the Presidential Precinct. “We were honored to host the Mandela Washington Fellowship for the past two years and we look forward to hosting this year’s cohort of exceptional leaders.”
Following their six-week curriculum, all 1,000 Fellows will come together in Washington, D.C. for a three-day Presidential Summit. A select group of 100 Fellows will remain in the United States after the Presidential Summit for an eight-week internship experience at a relevant U.S. business, NGO, or government agency. Further, the Mandela Washington Fellowship includes robust programming in Africa, including networking opportunities, continued professional development, and access to seed funding.
For more information on the Mandela Washington Fellowship at the Precinct, visit http://presidentialprecinct.org/mandela-washington-fellowship-young-african-leaders-yali/
For more information on the 2016 Precinct Mandela Washington Fellows, visit http://presidentialprecinct.org/yali/yali-map/