What is it
MCW Global’s Young Leaders Conference is an expansion of the Young Leaders Program focused on leveraging leadership to solve region-specific issues through regional networking. Through carefully selected speakers and training materials, the Young Leaders Conference semi-annually creates region-specific discourse worldwide over the course of 3 days and is tailored for community development practitioners aged 25-35.
The primary goal of the conference in Rwanda is to empower young people in East and Southern Africa with leadership skills to engage in discussions that affect their specific regions and provide the necessary tools and means to identify and understand the challenges of School-to-Work transition in TVET fields.
The Young Leaders Conference from March 25 – 27, 2024, will welcome young people from Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, and Zambia. The conference will cater to young people between the ages of 25-35 who are motivated to expand their leadership knowledge and engage in important discussions that advance their region’s well-being. The conference is centered on finding solutions to challenges in school-to-work transition, ultimately contributing to community economic development. Participants will collaborate to design initiatives for the employment of fresh vocational school graduates and share best practices.
What We Offer
The Young Leaders Conference
March 25th – March 27th, 2024 (Mandatory)
The conference will include numerous sessions over a span of three days in redefining leadership, personal leadership building, engaging with communities, and developing soft skills of leadership to help them establish regional networks for future exchange. Speakers, including educators, development partners, employers, and policymakers, will share ecosystem progress by discussing formal transition requirements and ongoing efforts. Their insights will inform participants about the standards and measures in place. Participants will actively engage with this knowledge, suggesting ways to strengthen informal transition pathways and improve community education-to-employment opportunities.
Vision Planning
April 10th – April 30th, 2024 (Optional)
As participants understand their position to lead social change they are invited to join webinar sessions to identify and understand their community issue.
Participants will also go through the basic project plan and activity design through three webinars that will be spread out in the month following the conference.
These three webinars, however, will be optional. Interested participants can opt for these sessions if they wish to.
Financial Support and Mentorship
June 2024 – September 2024 (Optional)
Participants with actionable project plans will be invited to apply for financial support (up to $300) to help them in implementation. This is also an optional feature of the conference. Interested participants can apply for financial support post-conference which will be subject to review and approval by MCW Global and MC-Rwanda.
Participants who receive funding will also be assigned a mentor from the Young Leaders Program Alumni Community to support their project execution and reporting which should be finalized and reported within two months after the distribution of the fund.
Am I Eligible?
Young Leaders Must:
- Be a young professional aged between 25 and 35 years;
- Be a citizen and resident of Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, or Zambia;
- Be employed, self-employed, or actively engaged in initiatives within the fields of ICT, Multimedia (such as multimedia production and computer maintenance), or Arts and crafts (including tailoring, fashion design, and graphic arts);
- Show engagement in the specified fields with initiatives that have been active for a period of one year or less;
- Be a graduate of TVET or from other programs but actively involved in initiatives related to ICT, Multimedia, or Arts and Craft;
- Have a desire to contribute to community development in the context of school-to-work transition;
- Be able to articulate how the conference theme aligns with their current work or aspirations;
- Demonstrate a willingness to engage in networking activities;
- Have an interest in designing and implementing community projects;
- Commit to actively participate throughout the conference;
- Be willing to share best practices and contribute to collaborative initiatives;
- Commit to fostering regional networks for future exchange;
- Be willing to engage in post-conference virtual activities;
- Be proficient in English, as the conference will be conducted in English;
- Commit to attending the three-day conference;
- Have access to email and internet to allow for consistent communication with the MCW Global and MC-Rwanda Teams;
- Submit a completed application on or before January 15th, 2024, at 11:59 PM EST.
Stay on Track
- December 1st, 2023: Young Leaders Conference application opens;
- January 15th, 2024: Young Leaders Conference application closes;
- January 30th, 2024: Acceptances sent out;
- February 9th, 2024: Participants’ Confirmation of acceptance;
- March 25th – March 27th, 2024: Young Leaders Conference in Nyamata, Rwanda;
- April 10th, 2024 – April 20th, 2024: Three webinars (optional);
- May 20th, 2024: Deadline for project submissions (optional);
- June 1st, 2024: Final decisions sent out and mentors assigned;
- June 1st- September 1st, 2024: Project implementation;
- September 30th, 2024: Submission of final report.
Ace Your Application!
- The application must be filled out in English.
- Any part of the application that is not written in English will not be read and be considered incomplete.
- The application includes:
- General Information
- Essay Questions
- What does leadership mean to you? Describe the leadership qualities you believe a good leader should possess.
- Please describe any experience in local community engagement or grassroots work.
- What do you believe are the challenges facing your community regarding the School-To-Work transition?
- Please describe your engagement in initiatives within the fields of ICT, Multimedia (such as multimedia production and computer maintenance), or Arts and crafts (including tailoring, fashion design, and graphic arts).
- What is your motivation to work on TVET?
- Please describe your professional background (. i.e. studies, profession, work engagements), including years of involvement. Please specify if you are still studying or graduating and if you run your own business/initiative.
- Do you have any experience in project management? What are some of the project management skills you wish to gain?
- Resume
- Your resume should not be more than 1 page. We suggest that it be prepared in Times New Roman, 12 font, with 1-inch margins.
- Liability Waiver
- At the end of the application, please review the terms and conditions.
- Application Form
- Click below to submit the application by Monday, January 15th, 2024.
Here’s How it Works
Please carefully read the following logistics information:
- In an effort to make the program accessible to all participants, the Young Leaders Conference is fully funded (free of charge).
- MCW Global and MC-Rwanda will also cover the costs of program tools, e-modules, speakers, and additional program expenses during the conference and the remaining part of the program.
- MCW Global and MC-Rwanda will cover all costs of transportation to and from the conference using routes that are economically the most efficient ones. This could mean a flight or travel by road via public transport, depending on your route.
- Your lodging costs will also be covered fully by MCW Global and MC-Rwanda. However, you will be required to share a room with a fellow conference participant.
- The conference will take place in Nyamata, Rwanda.
**If you have any questions or need further clarifications, please feel free to contact us at apply@mcwglobal.org.**
Good luck with your application!
