U.S.-Africa Green Leaders Academies & Fellowship Program
Winter 2022 - Summer 2023
Program Overview
10 Billion Strong, through our fiscal sponsor, Empowerment Works, is implementing three separate State Department public diplomacy programs for emerging environmental leaders in Ghana, Kenya, and Namibia, connecting them with peers in the U.S. The programs will begin in winter 2022 and each run until July 2023.
The U.S.-Africa Green Leaders Academies & Fellowship Programs are eight-month fellowships designed to train and connect emerging environmental leaders in the United States and Africa. With the generous funding from the Department of State, via the U.S. embassies in Ghana, Kenya, and Namibia, we are convening 60 U.S. university students (virtual program) and 60 African university students (virtual and in-person program) for eight months of environmental leadership training and collaboration. The U.S. fellows will choose a track based on theme and country and collaborate closely with fellows from one country in Africa.
The program will include the following elements:
November 28, 2022 - Fellowship application due.
December 1, 2022-January 27, 2023 - Online Green Leaders Academy - preparing emerging youth leaders to understand key environmental issues, develop their leadership skills, and learn how to use civic engagement to effectively address environmental challenges. Approximately 20 hours of content during this period.
February-March 2023 - Specialized training on eco-entrepreneurship (Ghana and Kenya) and wildlife conservation (Namibia). Approximately 10 hours of content during this period
March-June 2023 - Community projects in Africa implemented by students in-country with virtual support from the U.S. students.
June-July 2023 - Community presentations in Ghana, Kenya, and Namibia
Program Commitment
U.S. students who enroll in the program will be expected to join the complete the following activities:
Complete approximately 20 hours of program content and assignments between December and January. Most of the course will be asynchronous.
Complete approximately 10 hours of program content and assignments between February and March.
Join 1-2 monthly calls with your country team in Africa from December 2022-June 2023.
Collaborate with your African country team from March-June 2023 to research, design, implement, and evaluate a community project meant to address and environmental challenge. Approximately 10-20 hours of collaborating during this period.
Program Benefits
The benefits of enrolling in the program include:
- Developing a global network of potential environmental leaders.
- Access to world-class environmental leadership training.
- Building tangible career skills and knowledge.
- Recognition as a Department of State program fellow.
The programs will be implemented in Ghana, Kenya, and Namibia with these partners.
GAYO
Ghana
GAYO has eight years of experience working in communities with youth to address environmental and social challenges. Their GAYO Eco-Club Campus Chapters have 400 members across four universities where they train the students to work in underserved communities to engage in waste audits, climate change education, community cleanups, sustainable business design, agribusiness, and developing circular economy opportunities.
Green-Kenya
Kenya
Green-Kenya is a sport for development organization. They are the leaders in Sport for development in Climate action working in challenging environment in Africa. They believe in participatory education: by exposing children to open discussion and requesting their input, we are teaching them that their opinions are important. By posing questions on unexplored topics, we are planting the seeds for critical thinking. Green-Kenya was founded in 2014 and currently serves 1,500 youth per year in the Nairobi area.
WISE
Kenya
Women in Sustainable Enterprises (WISE) is an organization that empowers women and girls through sustainable enterprises in the Lake Victoria region. They provide necessary skills, tools and resources for their engagement in sustainable enterprises and economic development.
Future Africa International
Namibia
Future Africa International is a chapter-based, nonprofit organization which trains generations of young Africans to be climate action champions, competent entrepreneurs, and outstanding leaders. They work within Namibia’s leading universities, as well as high schools and primary schools. They also train students to contribute to effective policy, with the intent that it translates to practical grassroots conservation efforts.
