Empowering a New Generation: Evaluation of the U.S State Department's Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) in Sub-Saharan African as a Future-Focused Educational Initiative.

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 11:45 am - Gold 4
  In Roundtable Session: Advancing Equity and Access in Educational Systems

Abstract

As the global education community embraces the AERA 2026 theme, this study highlights how the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) addresses structural and historical challenges facing sub-Saharan Africa’s youth. With over 60% of the population under 35, YALI invests in transformative leadership through Regional Leadership Centers (RLCs) in Ghana, Senegal, South Africa, and Kenya. Drawing on data from 11,000 participants across 49 countries, the study examines outcomes in Attitude Towards Leadership, Leader Ratings, Knowledge Attainment and Leadership Skills, and Gender Roles. Results show significant gains in leadership attitudes and skills. YALI emerges as a model of future-focused education that empowers youth as co-creators of Africa’s development aligning with AERA’s call to unforgetting histories and reimagine educational futures.

Author

• Joshua Amponsah, Western Michigan University