Checking in with the 2024 CIEE UNHCR Student Challenge Winners
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As we gear up for the 2025 CIEE UNHCR Student Challenge, we wanted to check in on the progress of last year’s winning team, the Eagles, whose groundbreaking mentorship initiative aims to increase access to higher education for forcibly displaced youth.
The Challenge: Innovating for Change
Since 2023, CIEE has partnered with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to empower undergraduate student leaders worldwide to develop solutions that expand higher education and livelihood opportunities for displaced youth.
The competition, structured in three rounds, culminates at the CIEE Global Internship Conference (GIC), where the top three finalist teams present their ideas to global leaders in education, industry, and policy.
The 2024 winners, Team Eagles, emerged victorious at the conference in Berlin and were awarded CIEE-funded summer global internships, and a $50,000 grant to bring their idea to life.
Meet the Eagles
Team Eagles is composed of four students from Rwanda: Amina Mkova (Team Captain), Obed Korusenge Nsanzimfura, Joselyto Charite Baho (all from Kepler College), and Nimco Ibrahim (from African Leadership University).
Their project, RiseNext, is a mentoring program designed to bridge the knowledge gap for forcibly displaced high school students, university students, and soon-to-be graduates in Rwanda.
Six Months In: Progress and Challenges
Since winning the challenge, Team Eagles has been hard at work implementing their initiative. Here are some key updates:
Milestones Achieved
- Conducted intensive in-person workshops with mentees.
- Organized mock Duolingo tests to assess English proficiency—an essential requirement for university applications.
- Secured quality assurance support from Ruth Nyabuto, who has offered to review mentees' applications before submission.
- Advanced their NGO registration process, expanding their organizational structure to include an audit and conflict resolution committee and their executive committee.
- Allocated the first $5,000 from the CIEE grant in December 2024 to support key operational expenses.
- Identified target university intakes for mentees, including May and September admissions at African Leadership University.
Current Challenges
- Documentation Barriers: Many refugee students struggle to obtain academic transcripts and other required documents for university applications.
- Transportation Limitations: Mentees residing in Kiziba Refugee Camp face logistical difficulties traveling to Kigali for workshops and mentorship sessions.
- Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) Strategy: As the program scales, defining key performance indicators (e.g., university acceptance rates, and mentee exam performance) is crucial. CIEE is working with the team to structure this process, with Obed Korusenge leading the M&E efforts.
Looking Ahead: CIEE Summer Global Internships
Beyond their mentoring work, all four team members prepare for their CIEE summer 2025 global internships, providing them with hands-on professional experience in an international setting.
- All four team members have completed advising sessions with their CIEE advisors.
Three members have submitted their internship applications, with potential placements in South Korea, Japan, Singapore, and Denmark—pending visa approvals.
What’s Next? Join Us at the 2025 CIEE Global Internship Conference in Singapore
As we celebrate the impact of the 2024 winners, we eagerly anticipate the 2025 CIEE UNHCR Student Challenge finalists presenting their innovative solutions at the upcoming CIEE Global Internship Conference (GIC) in Singapore, June 25-27, 2025.
GIC brings together global education, business, and government leaders to discuss how work-integrated learning experiences prepare young people for a rapidly changing workforce.
The conference will feature networking opportunities, keynote speakers, and interactive sessions exploring the future of global internships. Don’t miss the chance to witness the next generation of changemakers in action!
Learn More & Get Involved
Visit the CIEE Global Internship Conference website to learn more about the event and how you can engage with student innovators tackling some of the world’s most pressing challenges.
