MWF CC 2016

The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) and is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the U.S.

The Mandela Washington Fellowship, the flagship program of President Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), empowers young African leaders through academic coursework, leadership training, mentoring, networking, professional opportunities, and support for activities in their communities. Fellows are young leaders from Sub-Saharan Africa who have established records of accomplishment in promoting innovation and positive change in their organizations, institutions, communities, and countries. The cohort of Fellows hosted by Cambridge College will be part of a larger group of 1,000 Mandela Washington Fellows hosted at institutions across the United States this summer. These exceptional young leaders will meet at the end of their institutes in Washington, D.C. for a Presidential Summit; select Fellows will also spend six weeks in professional development training with U.S. non-governmental organizations, private companies, and government agencies.

Deborah C. Jackson, President of Cambridge College stated “We are extremely excited to be one of the top U.S. colleges and universities nationwide selected to host 25 of the 2016 Mandela Washington Fellows this summer.” She further shared that “President Obama’s initiative deeply resonates with the social justice mission of Cambridge College to empower individuals to become catalysts of change in their communities. We are honored to participate in this important national and global initiative that endeavors to build strong relationships for our work and collective growth as global citizens. "