Empowering Youth: International Youth Internship Program (IYIP) prepares for global Impact

Excitement fills the air as our cohort of interns under the International Youth Internship Program (IYIP) gathers for their pre-departure training with McMaster and Empowerment Squared. This program, a partnership between McMaster (led by the OIA) and Empowerment Squared, is set to send 100 Canadian youth aged 18 to 30 on transformative four-month internships to Liberia and Ghana. The first cohort will include nine interns, including 5 McMaster students and alumni, departing to Ghana and Liberia on January 17^th to commence their internship.

As part of their internship, the interns completed the Global Citizenship Training Program developed by Dr. Lydia Kapiriri. This program focuses on global citizenship and provides a valuable background to the interns’ experiences in Ghana and Liberia. They have also been supported by the Student Success Centre offering them pre-departure training to ensure that they are well prepared for this transformative journey. The training included matters like roles and expectations, McMaster’s resources, safety and risk management abroad among many others. The African-Caribbean Faculty Association of McMaster (ACFAM) members will mentor the IYIP interns, providing them with guidance and coaching and encouraging them to progress toward achieving their professional and personal goals.

The interns will engage in projects focused on educational empowerment in rural Ghana, with a special emphasis on women and girls, and combating substance abuse and mental health challenges in Liberian grassroots organizations.

Funded by Global Affairs Canada, this initiative aims to provide young Canadians with invaluable international development experience while contributing to meaningful community projects. The internship is part of a larger $4.9M investment that will run until 2028, offering participants a unique opportunity to develop professional skills and make a global impact.

For more information, please reach out to our Project Coordinator for IYIP, Mahmoud Mouselli.