Fellowship tackles Latin American, Caribbean poverty

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) has announced a $3.6 million dollar grant to LASPAU: Academic and Professional Programs for the Americas to administer a new program – the Leadership Fellowship Program for Latin America and the Caribbean. The five-year grant is designed to train up to 50 fellows through short-term, master’s, and doctoral degree programs in key thematic areas critical to the overarching WKKF goal in the region, which is to implement and disseminate models to break the cycle of poverty.

To this end, the program will train leaders in academic programs that address issues related to poverty reduction and regional development. Areas of focus will include income generation and small business development; sustainable food production and nutrition; sustainable local health systems and policies; development-oriented leadership; social responsibility; and management of nonprofit organizations.

The candidate pool will consist of individuals who have successfully completed a prior WKKF Latin American and Caribbean Regional Leadership Institute or have been involved in a leadership role in WKKF-funded projects. Successful candidates will demonstrate a sincere commitment to social development and leadership capacity, and will possess a well-articulated vision related to improving opportunities for the disadvantaged.

“The Leadership Fellowship Program will help us to develop a new generation of leaders who are committed to social development and improving life for the disadvantaged,” said Blas Santos, Kellogg Foundation program director for Latin America and the Caribbean. “These leaders have already proven themselves at the local level. Through graduate studies, they’ll acquire the knowledge and insights they need to be even more effective and to succeed at higher levels.”

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation was established in 1930 to “help people help themselves through the practical application of knowledge and resources to improve the quality of life and that of future generations.” Its programming activities center on the common vision of a world in which each person has a sense of worth; accepts responsibility for self, family, community, and societal well-being; and has the capacity to be productive and to help create nurturing families, responsive institutions, and healthy communities.

To achieve the greatest impact, the foundation targets its grants toward such specific areas as health, food systems, and rural development; youth and education; and philanthropy and volunteerism. Within these areas, attention is given to the crosscutting themes of information and communication technology; leadership; social and economic community development programming; and capitalizing on diversity. Grants are concentrated in the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the southern African countries of Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe.

LASPAU is a nonprofit organization affiliated with Harvard University and governed by an independent, inter-American board of trustees. LASPAU designs and implements academic and professional programs to meet the complex social, political, and economic challenges facing the Americas. Expertise in Latin America and the Caribbean, and relationships with individuals and institutions throughout the hemisphere enable LASPAU to develop customized educational programs that address the evolving needs of clients and partners. LASPAU believes in universal and equitable access to high-quality educational opportunities and is committed to expanding the ability of individuals, institutions, and societies to achieve their highest potential through education.