Deadline: 31-Dec-21
The Africa Centre is currently accepting applications for the Ujima Fellowship Program to address structural racism and inequity by creating opportunities for diverse representation within advisory or decision making entities.
This fellowship aims to support young Black leaders between the ages of 18 – 30 who demonstrate the willingness to develop their leadership skills and want to serve on advisory or policy-making platforms. The Ujima Fellowship Program is funded by the Government of Canada.
The fellowship is named Ujima (oo-JEE-mah), after the third principle of Kwanzaa. Kwanzaa is a week-long cultural celebration that honors African American and African culture. Ujima means collective responsibility and work. Ujima focuses on the foundation of community building and collaboration as a means to solve problems and stepping away from the individual mindset and moving towards a collective approach.
Program Framework
The Ujima Fellowship is a 10-month program in collaboration with the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) and various community partners which consists of the following:
- 35 hours of in-class leadership training
- 8-month placement with a volunteer agency, board, commission, or committee(ABCC)
- 20 hours of volunteer work.
Benefits
Through this fellowship, you will gain the following skills and experiences:
- Develop leadership skills and knowledge of organizational strategies and tools to become an effective leader
- Demonstrate increased self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-worth
- Understand the inner workings of the organizational framework of ABCCs during their placement
- Become more involved in the community and care for the environment.
- Acquire valuable leadership skills they can put into action
- Meet like-minded leaders and develop meaningful professional relationships
Program Participants
- Program Participants will have the opportunity to learn new skills in the following areas of business, leadership development, organizational and management skills, diversity and inclusion, strategic communication etc.
- The ideal applicant should be highly self-motivated, independent and have a strong interest in community engagement and leadership development. Applicants must demonstrate how they actively engage in the betterment of their communities through their activities and previous accomplishments.
- As a program participant, the fellowship will provide you with the necessary leadership skills to be effective leaders in various organizational structures and give you first-hand experience as a member of an ABCC.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for this fellowship you must meet the following criteria:
- Identify as a member of the Black community
- Be between the ages of 18 – 30
- Completed or currently undertaking coursework in social work, community engagement, business, leadership, social sciences, equity and inclusion, public policy or a related field
- Demonstrated volunteer experience within community initiatives, civic engagement and/or business experience.
For more information, visit https://www.africacentre.ca/ujima-fellowship-program