The aim of the Fellowship Program is to mobilize young people with the skills and resources needed to create and implement vision plans in the area of education, health, and economic security.
MCW Global’s Young Leaders Fellowship begins with the Community Needs Assessment – A one-month community needs mapping that prepares young people, between the ages of 18-26, from around the world to understand their local communities better. After the community needs assessment, Young Leaders participate in a one-month intensive Virtual Program that helps them become leaders of positive change in their communities. After Virtual Learning, participants spend 10-months developing their action plans with support from alumni mentors.
- Community Needs Assessment: The Young Leaders Fellowship begins with an intensive community mapping project and community needs assessment, where Young Leaders will be provided with the tools and knowledge to assess their own community. This phase is implemented prior to starting the Virtual Learning, as it will provide the young leaders with a better understanding of the needs of their community.
- Project Development Through Virtual Learning: Participants come to the Young Leaders Fellowship with an idea of a community issue they want to address. Vision planning is the process of transforming passion into a concrete, tangible plan for change. Through online sessions with speakers, discussions, e-modules, and assignments, participants will be able to put their local issues into a larger global context while understanding why they are in a unique position to make a change in their community. Participants will also determine which tools and skills can be applied to an actionable plan.
- Alumni Mentorship & Ongoing Support: To further develop and execute their actionable plans, Young Leaders are paired with alumni mentors, who will guide them during the Virtual Program toward creating an actionable plan. During the year, alumni mentors support participants by facilitating quarterly “hangouts” and ongoing remote communication. Alumni mentors undergo customized training prior to the start of the program in order to support team building and cultural competency among the diverse group of Young Leaders.