The College of William & Mary will host 25 young African leaders this summer, as part of a new program by President Obama to foster communities abroad.
The Obama administration selected the college to become a part of the Presidential Precinct, a piece of the Young African Leadership Initiative’s Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. The new flagship program aims to propel economic growth, prosperity and democracy in Africa.
William & Mary is joined in the Presidential Precinct by the University of Virginia and three presidential homes in the commonwealth: Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, James Madison’s Montpelier, James Monroe’s Ash Lawn-Highland and Morven.
The Presidential Precinct will host the fellows for six weeks beginning in June, offering leadership training, academic coursework and mentoring in Charlottesville, Orange and Williamsburg. Participants will learn the skills leaders need to run better ministries, start and grow businesses, as well as serve their communities and countries.
William & Mary’s program will focus on civic leadership, tailored to guests who volunteer or serve through non-government organizations.
“This is a truly inspiring project for all of us in the Presidential Precinct,” said Stephen E. Hanson, vice provost for international affairs and director of the Reves Center for International Studies at William & Mary, in a news release. “It links the formative debates about democracy, federalism, and the nature of liberty among our nation’s Founders to contemporary struggles for political representation and good governance taking place across the entire African continent.”
The visiting leaders will also meet with civic, business and government experts, have access to internship and apprenticeship opportunities. They will also meet Obama at a presidential summit in support of Washington’s commitment to Africa.
The Precinct is financially supported by AECOM, one of the world’s largest design and engineering firms, and the U.S. State Department.
To learn more about the program, visit the Young African Leaders Initiative website.
