2022 Frederick Douglass Global Fellows Begin Leadership Program with Changemaker Workshop in D.C.

CIEE held a two-day Changemaker Workshop in Washington, D.C. for the fifth cohort of the Frederick Douglass Global Fellows before they left for Ireland and their fully funded international leadership program focused on peace, social justice, and conflict resolution.

The 2022 Frederick Douglass Global Fellows are outstanding students of color from colleges and universities across the United States who were selected from a record number of applicants based on their demonstrated leadership and communication skills, and their commitment to agitating for positive social change.

The Government of Ireland and student exchange provider USIT in Ireland will co-sponsor the 2022 Frederick Douglass Global Fellows in honor of the meeting between 27-year-old abolitionist Frederick Douglass and the great Irish reformer Daniel O’Connell in Dublin in 1845.

Fellows gathered in the nation’s capital for opening sessions with CIEE staff and special guest Mentor Dida, who led a collaborative workshop encouraging Fellows to co-create strategies that demonstrate inspirational leadership in their communities.

He called on the Fellows to learn how to provide solid solutions for issues they are passionate about by saying: "The real, meaningful systemic changes, the framework changes, happen when we find the root cause of the problem and we address that."

Fellows and CIEE staff spent the day at Howard University accompanied by Dr. James P. Pellow, President and CEO of CIEE; officials from the U.S. Department of State; Nettie Washington Douglass, the great-great-granddaughter of abolitionist and orator Frederick Douglass; and Tonija Hope, the Director of the Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center at Howard University.

Remarks were offered by Dr. Antony Wutoh, Provost, and Chief Academic Officer at Howard University, who encouraged students to look towards  their future, "You are going to be a part of what life is going to be like for future generations to come and much of that is going to be framed by the experiences that you're going to benefit from."

Following the kick-off sessions in Washington D.C., the Fellows and accompanying CIEE staff boarded flights to Dublin, Ireland, where for the next four weeks they will engage in an experiential study of comparative global leadership practices and social conflict resolution.

In addition to fully funding the 16 Frederick Douglass Global Fellows, CIEE offered all Fellowship applicants a $1,500 Frederick Douglass Scholars Grant  towards a CIEE study abroad program within the next year.  In summer 2022, 64 high-achieving students of color will apply their FDSG to CIEE programs in over a dozen international locations, including Amman, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Cape Town, and Seoul. More than thirty college presidents matched this $1,500 grant for their students, adding to the more than one million dollars committed in 2022 by CIEE to advance equity in global education. 

For program details please contact:
Kyndall Cox, Director of Alumni Engagement and Assistant Director, Frederick Douglass Global Programs, kcox@ciee.org.

For media inquiries please contact:
Meghan Sowersby, Communications Specialist, msowersby@ciee.org