EDUCATION IN SUPPORT OF SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION: LEARNING FROM THE FIRST FIVE YEARS OF THE MASTERCARD FOUNDATION SCHOLARS PROGRAM SEPTEMBER 2016 TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2

I INTRODUCTION 10

A. The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program

Figure 1 – Four Stages of the Scholars Program

B. The African Context

C. Purpose of the Report

D. Methodology

II A PROFILE OF MASTERCARD FOUNDATION SCHOLARS AND PARTNERS 12

A. Scholars Figure 2 – Share of Scholars at Each Level of Study “We ask our Scholars to think about how they Figure 3 – Number of Scholars by Country of Study Figure 4 – Location of Study will give back to society—much more deeply than Figure 4A – The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program Partner Institutions working on a project, but how they will give back Figure 5 – Gender of MasterCard Foundation Scholars over a lifetime.” B. Partners Figure 6 – Cumulative Number of Scholar Graduates, Actual and Projected

-Reeta Roy, President and CEO III EARLY LEARNING: RECRUIT, EDUCATE, PREPARE, TRANSITION 16

A. Recruit Figure 7 – Occupation of Primary Head of Household

Figure 8 – Undergraduate and Graduate Scholars: Social Change and Career Aspirations

B. Educate Figure 9 – Tertiary (Alumni and Scholar) Broad Field of Study

Figure 10 – 2014/15 GPA Distribution of Tertiary Scholars

Figure 11 – Transformative Leadership Framework

Figure 12 – Opportunities for Instructing, Modelling and Practising Transformative Leadership

C. Prepare

D. Transition Figure 13 – Secondary School Alumni Postsecondary School Specialization

Figure 14 – Share of Secondary Scholar Alumni Employed or Pursuing Higher Education

Figure 15 – Number of Tertiary Alumni Working or Continuing Their Education

Figure 16 – Sectors of Employment: Tertiary Scholars Alumni 48 IV LOOKING TO THE FUTURE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program This is an extraordinary time on the African Learning from the Scholars Program: Recruit, • University partnerships for joint recruitment is the largest private scholarship program ever continent. The majority of Africans now live Educate, Prepare, Transition share costs and knowledge among partner implemented for African youth. The Program is in countries with greater peace and security, institutions. Relationships between NGOs built on the premise that all young people, no stronger democracies, growing economies Drawing on results from Mathematica’s research supporting secondary scholarships and matter their starting point in life, should have the and improved infrastructure compared to two and other data sources, we identifed a number universities can create a pipeline for opportunity to obtain a quality education and decades ago. While the political, economic and of early fndings from across the Program. candidates to reach university. pursue their aspirations. To this end, the Program social challenges are still great, there is enormous • Best practices identifed by partners include provides education at secondary, undergraduate potential for creating sustainable, inclusive growth Recruit beginning the recruitment process as early as and graduate levels, as well as leadership in the future. Education, however, especially at the During the recruit stage, partners select Scholars possible; increasing collaboration with local development for tens of thousands of bright, secondary and tertiary level, is out of reach for who meet the Foundation’s core criteria: partners; and ensuring current and alumni young leaders who are striving to improve their the majority of Africa’s young people, and most economic disadvantage; academic talent; and Scholars understand the recruitment process lives, and who share a commitment to improving of those who are in school do not have access to leadership potential. In examining the efforts of and become advocates for the Program. the lives of others. quality learning opportunities. In order to build the Foundation and its partners to recruit young on Africa’s unfolding progress and establish more people, we found that: • Elite universities are adopting new recruitment While the Program originally aimed to support the equitable societies, youth must be able to access and selection approaches. They are also education and leadership development of 15,000 quality education, and develop the leadership • The Foundation and its partners are expanding the number of disadvantaged youth, the Program’s reach has expanded now skills they need to help create an era of shared successfully recruiting the right profle of students they recruit from Africa due to to over 30,000 talented students, and continues prosperity across the continent. youth who meet the Program’s criteria. participation in the Scholars Program. to grow. Through its network of universities and • A broader, multi-faceted definition of non-governmental organization (NGO) partners, Education in Support of Social Transformation Educate disadvantage as a selection criterion that the Scholars Program ensures that students reports on early learning from the frst fve years During the educate stage, Scholars undertake includes aspects such as orphanhood, with great academic potential and very limited of the Scholars Program. It draws on Foundation both academic and leadership training, preparing disability or living in confict-affected areas, resources are able to equip themselves with the and partner data from participating Scholars themselves to make successful contributions to is more workable than a narrow defnition knowledge and skills they need to join the next research briefs produced by the Foundation’s their economies and societies. The following key of economic disadvantage based on income, generation of ethical leaders. learning partner, Mathematica Policy Research,1 fndings were identifed: and better refects the range of challenges interviews with Scholars, Foundation staff and to accessing education faced by many Key Program elements include: partners, and tracking reports of international Academic Preparation African youth. alumni from other programs for comparative • Three-quarters of tertiary Scholars are • Quality secondary or university education; purposes. By the end of 2016, close to 5,000 • Most secondary Scholars are academic performing well academically, at or above • Holistic fnancial, social and academic supports; Scholars will have graduated from the Program achievers performing within the top national the 3.0 to 4.0 grade point level. (the vast majority being secondary Scholars, cohort upon entering the Program as • Training and mentorship that reinforces the • A small number of Scholars however, are along with several hundred undergraduate and measured by national exams. core values of transformative leadership struggling academically for a range of graduate Scholars). Though the Program is still and a commitment to improving the lives • While recruiting Scholars at the secondary reasons, including diffculty in adjusting to in its early years, we found numerous examples of others; and level, it is important to look for leadership a new culture and academic environment; of impact and transformation, both individual potential and examples of service rather than health issues; and poor ft with chosen • A network of like-minded young leaders and institutional, across the Scholars Program’s leadership positions, due to these Scholars’ major. Partners are helping Scholars committed to giving back. four interlinked stages: recruit, educate, prepare early stage in life. address these challenges through early and transition. identifcation, academic bridging programs • Recruitment of talented, disadvantaged prior to university, tutoring, summer school, African youth requires non-African universities and in limited cases, a change of majors or to reach beyond the top high schools. For this additional time to complete degrees. reason, greater resources in time, travel and staffng are required.

Front cover: Rukudzo Muyenga, a MasterCard Foundation Scholar at University of California, Berkeley. Photo credit: Jake Naughton

2 Education in Support of Social Transformation: Learning from the First Five Years of The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program 3 • Tertiary Scholars often need a range of • Expectations regarding what it means to be • Networking with faculty, other Scholars, • The Foundation’s fexible defnition and support, including cultural sensitization a transformative leader can place a heavy alumni and outside professionals is key timeline for return to Africa, its focus on (particularly for those studying abroad); burden on some Scholars. Clarifying that to preparing Scholars for internships and Scholar choice, and support to Scholars introduction to unfamiliar pedagogical and transformative leadership does not require employment, and for fostering opportunities applying for internships and jobs on the learning practices; personal wellness and position or status, and can be exercised at for volunteering, career advancement and continent seem to be facilitating return and health counselling and services; and fnancial multiple levels, can alleviate this burden. lifelong learning. All Scholars require more ‘give-back’ among early cohorts of tertiary literacy training. intentional opportunities to interact with role Scholars studying abroad. Prepare models and mentors in their prospective • Universities have strengthened and • Research on career paths of African alumni During the prepare stage, which overlaps felds, and to practise career networking. expanded these academic and support at international universities over the past fve academic and leadership training, Scholars take services, suggesting that institutions are • Annual partner and Scholar conferences decades shows that rates of return to the part in mentoring, career counselling, internships, making changes that can also benefit are important opportunities for networking, continent are higher for alumni who pursued service projects, and other opportunities to build students outside the Program. sharing best practices, and building advanced degrees compared to those who their networks and help prepare themselves for community among Scholars, partners and studied at the undergraduate level.6 • Retention in and satisfaction with the the next phase of life. An examination of the the Foundation. So far, however, only a small Scholars Program is very high so far, processes and elements in this stage of the • Fifty-six percent of tertiary alumni are minority of all Scholars are able to attend suggesting that selection processes and Program revealed the following:3 employed and 56 percent are continuing these events. wraparound services are working well for their education (this includes a small most Scholars. • Secondary Scholars need additional assistance • The digital Baobab platform – a community percentage that are both working and such as college counselling, information platform for tertiary Scholars and alumni – studying). Eighty-one percent found Preparing for Transformative Leadership2 on university scholarships and support to could be a model for other networking and employment within two months or less. Just • Collaborative efforts with partners and complete applications for higher education. lifelong-learning platforms if successful. over half of these alumni are satisfed with Scholars to defne transformative leadership Active participation by Scholars in the design their current jobs. Most tertiary graduates • Africa Careers Network – a job placement and develop consensus on skills and mindsets of the Baobab platform and its degree of found employment in the private sector, service created by the Foundation in is resulting in new programming in modelling customization are noteworthy. followed by NGOs and the public sector. partnership with African Leadership and practising leadership, and new ways of Academy (ALA) – has placed hundreds of thinking at partner institutions. Transition Scholars and ALA graduates into jobs and Scholars access a variety of resources to help • Most Scholars have opportunities for internships since 2012. Though it has helped them make the transition to further education, instruction in transformative leadership, but develop a culture of internships in Africa, its entrepreneurship and/or employment as they access to programming is fragmented. There high-touch approach will need modifcations embark on their journey as ethical leaders. are even fewer opportunities for Scholars to be scalable. A review of how Scholars transition from the to model (through mentoring) and practise • North American and African partner Program showed that:4 such leadership. universities have expanded resources devoted • Scholars require multiple forms of mentoring to helping students fnd internships and jobs • A majority of tertiary Scholars have, or – academic, psycho-social, professional on the continent as a result of the Program. intend to, return to Africa. Nearly 50 percent and leadership – yet personal mentoring However, Scholars require additional country- of tertiary Scholars from the first two requires signifcant resources and is diffcult specifc information about the job market, cohorts studying abroad returned home to provide to all Scholars. including growth sectors and information after graduation, and the majority of those about small, medium and large enterprises. remaining abroad expect to return to Africa • All partners incorporate African contexts into Many Scholars could beneft from additional within fve years.5 their leadership training, but most leadership help in applying for positions through offerings lack a gender focus, according to a expanded, personalized, Africa-focused review of partners’ leadership programming. career counselling and mentoring. Secondary Scholars in the 2015 graduating class at BRAC Uganda. Photo credit: Brendan Bannon

4 Education in Support of Social Transformation: Learning from the First Five Years of The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program 5 • Data from the frst cohort of secondary expand access to education for talented leadership programming for Scholars. • The Program could beneft from strategic Scholars show that 85 percent of alumni African youth. Demand for secondary and Secondary Scholars could also benefit communications efforts that build a wider surveyed were able to transition to higher higher education among these youth still from more opportunities to strengthen their recognition of The MasterCard Foundation education after the Program.7 This is a far exceeds supply. More could be done by employability and life-skills. Scholars Program – among youth and signifcantly higher rate than the seven universities, NGOs, governments, funders relevant institutions and employers globally. • The Foundation and its partners should percent transition rate from secondary and the private sector to expand access to This type of investment could pay off clarify expectations regarding leadership school to university in Sub-Saharan Africa. education for greater numbers of talented, for Scholars as they move through their development, emphasizing that transformative disadvantaged youth. The Program must careers, and could help the Foundation • Most secondary level alumni are pursuing leadership is a lifelong journey that can take continue to strengthen its efforts to reach and its partners recruit talented youth to further studies in STEM felds, and at equal many forms and can occur at multiple levels, vulnerable youth. the Program. rates by men and women, suggesting that from family to community to society at large. the Foundation is helping young women • One of the main barriers continues to be cost. • Given the variation in Scholars’ access to Transitions to Further Education, Employment overcome barriers to studying in the Low-cost and fexible forms of education transformative leadership training, the and Entrepreneurship sciences, mathematics and computing felds. fnancing, including student loans and work- Foundation should develop additional • As research shows that there are higher rates study programs, should be developed to • Some secondary school alumni would like leadership programming and ensure it is of return for African alumni studying at the serve this population. The Foundation could additional help to develop transferable accessible to a wider group of Scholars. graduate level,8 the Foundation should place play a catalyzing role in this area. skills, and some secondary and tertiary greater emphasis on supporting graduate alumni request greater support for the • At the secondary level, move away from Helping Scholars Prepare Themselves to Scholars for study abroad at institutions transition from school to work, including countries where access to and quality of Succeed in Work and Life offering specialized programs not widely additional career advisory services. secondary education is improving and • The Foundation and its partners should available on the continent. At the same time, redirect Program resources to countries where expand their repository of internship and the Program should continue to support • Both secondary and tertiary Scholars are secondary education needs, particularly in career opportunities for Scholars, focusing secondary and undergraduate Scholars at highly motivated to give back to their terms of access and leadership development, on online systems scalable for thousands of institutions in Africa, where access is still communities, and a large majority of alumni are especially acute. Scholars, and supplemented by the Program’s limited by cost and other constraints. Scholars volunteer. network of industry and employer partners. • As larger numbers of Scholars graduate • Some Scholar alumni are already making a Educating Scholars Academically and as • Scholars, particularly girls and young women, with each passing year, the need to support difference in their countries of origin through Transformative Leaders should be supported to develop strong peer Scholars’ career transitions increases, as social ventures, but accessing fnancing for • Additional support services should be made and professional networks. does the need for greater investment and these ventures remains a signifcant challenge. available to the small number of Scholars innovations to assist them. who are struggling academically. • Comprehensive career guidance services at Considerations the secondary level should be strengthened. • To improve success during the job search, • To build transformative leadership, more The Foundation could play a role in improving tertiary alumni recommend that Scholars opportunities need to be created for As larger cohorts graduate in coming years, awareness of the multiple pathways available obtain work experience while still in school Scholars to model and practise these skills Scholars’ needs for assistance to successfully to youth in secondary school, including as a way to overcome strong competition and mindsets. Given the growing number complete their schooling and transition to further tertiary vocational education and training for employment. of Scholars who will be participating in the education, employment or entrepreneurship will (TVET) opportunities, entrepreneurship Program in future years, alternative, scalable • Due to the shortage of formal sector jobs in expand considerably. The Foundation needs to and employment. models for mentoring should be explored. Africa, many Scholars may choose the path consider the following as it works with partners All Scholars should be encouraged to seize • Scholars interested in seeking jobs and of entrepreneurship. The Foundation should and Scholars to continue to develop the Program: opportunities to practise transformative internships in Africa should start early consider skill-building in entrepreneurship leadership while studying. and seek support from university career and enterprise development, connecting Recruiting Scholars and Expanding Access services, faculty and personal networks, as Scholars with funding sources, and to Education for Disadvantaged Youth • Safe spaces for girls should be incorporated this process can take many months and is facilitating access to advisory services and • While partner institutions have changed their as part of leadership training at the highly competitive. The Foundation could innovation hubs. practices in order to recruit disadvantaged secondary level and an explicit gender play a facilitation role by partnering with African students, more could be done to orientation should be included in all employer and professional networks to create internships and career opportunities for graduating Scholars.

6 Education in Support of Social Transformation: Learning from the First Five Years of The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program Education in Support of Social Transformation: Learning from the First Five Years of The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program 7 • The low share of Scholars pursuing a career Scholars Community, including both alumni and Prepare – To do more to help Scholars position Future Learning – The Foundation will continue in public service may suggest a role for the current students. The Foundation, its partners themselves for success after the Program, the to invest in research and evaluation in order Foundation, its partners and governments and Scholars have already started to work on Foundation will continue to work with partners to learn from and improve the Program, and to create established career pathways or this initiative. Additionally, a number of new and Scholars to expand and enhance the Scholars track its impact. Increasingly, these efforts will fellowship programs for Scholars in the developments are being considered. Some of Community, including the Baobab platform. The help us engage Scholars and partners as active public sector. the new efforts and potential pathways are Program will move toward regional conferences participants in all phases of the learning cycle. outlined below. and other events that will reach all Scholars, and • It is still early days for the Scholars Program; we will work to expand internship opportunities while initial data from the frst two, very New Developments in the Scholars Program for Scholars in Africa. small cohorts of tertiary students studying abroad show that just over half of alumni are Recruit – To strengthen the partner network in Transition – To further support the large returning to the continent upon graduation, Africa and offer more opportunities for Scholars number of Scholars who will be graduating in continued research and tracking will be to study at quality institutions on the continent, the coming years, the Foundation will focus on needed to monitor trends over time.9 the Foundation will develop more partnerships assisting secondary Scholars in their pursuit of • In order to effectively judge the long-term with leading African universities, supporting more university and/or vocational studies, and will impact of the Program, continued investment Scholars to study at the undergraduate level provide short-term post-graduation bridge in a longitudinal study of Scholars could in Africa. The Foundation and its partners will programming, focused on soft skills development, greatly inform this and other scholarship recruit more Scholars from groups that are still digital literacy and entrepreneurship training. For programs for disadvantaged youth. not represented in large numbers in the Program, university Scholars, the Foundation will develop including students with disabilities and students career exposure events in countries with high Looking to the Future from underrepresented countries (including those concentrations of Scholars and will create an in francophone West Africa). industry mentorship program. The Foundation Five years on, it is still too soon to draw defnitive will also explore opportunities to support conclusions regarding the Scholars Program’s Educate – The Foundation will develop additional education fnance. ultimate impact. During the frst years, focus transformative leadership content, resources has been on building the foundation for the and curricula. Additional leadership courses will Partners – In addition to recruiting additional Program: creating appropriate criteria and be developed on the digital Baobab platform African partners, the Program will support Stefan, a MasterCard Foundation Scholar from Ghana at Kwame Nkrumah processes for recruiting and selecting Scholars with an explicit gender focus. Scholars will be the expansion of partnerships between North University of Science and Technology. Photo credit: Jake Naughton and partners; strengthening the partner network; provided with more opportunities to model American, European and African institutions and establishing a suite of support services for transformative leadership (through group through faculty and Scholar exchanges, joint Scholars making extraordinary transitions at the mentoring via the Baobab platform and teacher programming, additional online courses and academic, social, cultural and professional levels. mentors at secondary schools), and additional conferences. Going forward, undergraduate possibilities for practising transformative Scholars will increasingly study in Africa while Program development efforts will now take on leadership through service learning projects, graduate Scholars study abroad. The Program’s new challenges. The Foundation will expand leadership positions in school activities and international partnerships will also provide its programming on transformative leadership, other efforts. We will scale up and multiply our technical support to strengthen institutional preparing Scholars for successful transitions. existing tertiary Scholars convening efforts, capacity at African universities. Together with partners and Scholars, the eventually reaching all tertiary Scholars. Foundation is also working to build a stronger

8 Education in Support of Social Transformation: Learning from the First Five Years of The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program 9 I. INTRODUCTION

A THE MASTERCARD FOUNDATION During the prepare stage, which overlaps with youngest population in the world, with 200 million Mathematica. Questions that the Foundation SCHOLARS PROGRAM academic and leadership training, Scholars take people aged between 15 and 24.13 In order to build hopes to address in this report and through its part in mentoring, career counselling, internships, on Africa’s unfolding progress and help create wider learning agenda include: The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program service projects and other opportunities to help more equitable societies, youth must possess the is the largest private scholarship program ever prepare themselves for the next phase of life knowledge and skills employers seek. • Is the Foundation meeting its goals implemented for African youth. The Program is after the Scholars Program. Finally, Scholars of providing quality education to unique in supporting education at the secondary, access a variety of resources to help them Most of these skills are acquired through secondary disadvantaged and talented youth? tertiary and graduate levels and in providing both transition from the Program to further education, and tertiary education. Yet access to quality • Is the Scholars Program fostering full fnancial support and a range of services and entrepreneurship or employment. education at secondary and tertiary levels, while the skills and mindsets of Scholars training such as mentoring and internships that improving, still remains stubbornly low across Sub- as transformative leaders? support the development of each Scholar as an FIGURE 1 Four Stages of Saharan Africa, especially for the poor and the most • Are Scholars returning to their home individual and a leader. the Scholars Program marginalized. According to UNESCO, secondary countries and regions to give back? school gross enrolment in Sub-Saharan Africa • Is there evidence of early contributions by Partner institutions recruit The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program RECRUIT Scholars to the Program is the lowest of any region of the world at only Scholars to the economies and societies is built on the premise that all young people, no 41 percent.14 There is signifcant variation across on the continent? matter their starting point in life, should have Scholars receive high-quality countries, and depending on gender. For example, • Are Scholars satisfed with the Program? EDUCATE academic and transformative the opportunity to obtain a quality education leadership training among poor and rural populations, and for girls, • Is the Scholars Program a catalyst for broader and pursue their aspirations. Originally aiming to these rates are even lower. Tertiary enrolment in change within implementing institutions? Scholars connect with networks, support the education and leadership development PREPARE resources and opportunities to Sub-Saharan Africa is also the lowest of any world of 15,000 youth, the Program has so far doubled prepare for their next phase of life region at 9 percent, compared to 73 percent for To answer these questions, Section II examines that commitment, to over 30,000 bright, young Scholars transition to further high income countries and 33 percent globally.15 who these young Scholars are and where they leaders from economically disadvantaged TRANSITION education, employment or are studying. Section III identifes key learning entrepreneurship backgrounds. Through a network of university and According to the Brookings Institution’s Center during each of the Scholars Program’s four NGO partners, the Scholars Program ensures that for Universal Education, for those who do access stages. Section IV traces the paths of the frst two students with great academic potential but very B THE AFRICAN CONTEXT education, the quality of learning is often very cohorts of secondary and tertiary Scholars who limited resources are able to equip themselves low, with “little mastery of core academic content graduated in 2014 and 2015 to examine their early with the knowledge and skills they need to join the This is an extraordinary time for Africa. The majority and higher-order thinking skills.”16 Additionally, choices and impact. Finally, the report concludes next generation of ethical leaders. The vision of the of Africans now live in countries with greater peace youth are not suffciently acquiring transferable by discussing how learning from each of these Program is that these young people will make a and security, stronger democracies, growing or 21st-century skills – the mix of academic and stages informs the direction of the Program. lasting impact in their communities and regions, economies and improved infrastructure. Sub- applied skills such as communication, critical and as a result, help usher in a new era of equitable Saharan Africa is the third-fastest growing region of thinking, collaboration and resilience that are D METHODOLOGY and inclusive prosperity in Africa and beyond. the world, with 4.6 percent average annual growth in increasingly identifed as necessary for success GDP, just behind East Asia (6.7 percent) and South in school, life, and work.17 This report draws on data from participating The Scholars Program is designed in four Asia (6.3 percent).10 As the continent witnesses Scholars, research briefs, and interviews with interlinked stages: recruit, educate, prepare an era of unprecedented growth, employers C PURPOSE OF THE REPORT Scholars, Foundation staff and partners in order and transition. During recruitment, partners are demanding ever greater numbers of skilled to distill learning from the Program. It also select Scholars meeting the Foundation’s core workers. Job seekers, including youth, are keen to Education in Support of Social includes a review of a recent tracking survey of criteria of economic disadvantage, academic participate in this wave of economic growth, and Transformation describes early outcomes and international alumni from other programs for talent, leadership potential and commitment to lift themselves and their families out of poverty.11 learning from the first, foundational years of the comparative purposes. All data on Scholars are to contributing to social transformation on the Program, drawing on the experiences of anonymized to preserve confdentiality. continent. During the educate stage, Scholars Despite these gains, some daunting challenges still Scholars, partners and Foundation staff. This undertake both academic and leadership training, remain. Economic growth has not been inclusive. report forms part of the Foundation’s learning equipping themselves with the capacities Income disparities in some countries are widening. agenda for the Program, adding to a series of and mindsets required to make successful Corruption remains pervasive and unemployment research briefs and an impact study by the contributions to their economies and societies. among young people is increasing.12 Africa has the Program’s learning partner

10 Education in Support of Social Transformation: Learning from the First Five Years of The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program 11 II. A PROFILE OF MASTERCARD FOUNDATION SCHOLARS AND PARTNERS

A SCHOLARS FIGURE 2 Share of Scholars at FIGURE 4 Location of Study Each Level of Study As of August 2016, 19,338 youth are currently enrolled in or have graduated from the Scholars 12% 2% Undergraduate Graduate Program. Two-thirds of these Scholars are women, and the majority are studying in Africa. Through university and education-NGO partners, the Foundation supports Scholars at three different levels of study: secondary, undergraduate and 86% graduate. So far, the Foundation has committed to Secondary supporting over 30,000 MasterCard Foundation Scholars through 2025.

Source: The MasterCard Foundation Management Information System (as of August 2016). Of the 19,338 current Scholars:

• 16,677 are secondary school Scholars, studying in Africa through the Foundation’s FIGURE 3 Number of Scholars by four NGO partners: Forum for African Women Country of Study

Educationalists or FAWE (Ethiopia and FIGURE 4A The MasterCard Foundation Rwanda); Campaign for Female Education Country Total Scholars Program Partner Institutions or Camfed (Ghana); BRAC (Uganda); and the Equity Group Foundation (Kenya) through Kenya 6,090 Secondary Education Partners Campaign for Female McGill University* Uganda 5,301 Education (Camfed) Canada its Wings to Fly program. BRAC Ghana Ghana 5,075 Uganda Michigan State University* • A further 2,274 are tertiary-level Scholars Carnegie Mellon USA Rwanda 1,210 Campaign for Female pursuing undergraduate degrees at University (CMU) Education (Camfed) Rwanda Stanford University universities in Africa (64 percent), North USA 486 Ghana USA Ethiopia 400 Forum for African Women America (22 percent), as well as EARTH Equity Group Foundation Educationalists (FAWE) University of British Columbia* University in Costa Rica and the American Canada 179 Kenya Rwanda Canada University of Beirut (14 percent). A small Costa Rica 172 Forum for African Women Kwame Nkrumah University University of California, Berkeley Educationalists (FAWE) of Science and Technology (UC Berkeley)* percentage (six Scholars) will be joining South Africa 162 Ethiopia and Rwanda (KNUST) USA University of Edinburgh, the Program’s frst Lebanon 85 Ghana University of Toronto partner in Europe. Tertiary Partners Senegal 22 Makerere University Canada Africa Uganda • Finally, 387 of the Scholars are studying at the United Kingdom 14 Wellesley College University of Cape Town USA graduate level in master’s degree programs. Cameroon 13 African Institute for Mathematical Sciences** South Africa* Seventy percent of these Scholars study at Other Tanzania 12 South Africa, Cameroon, Senegal, Ghana, University of Pretoria universities in Africa. (Figures 2, 3 and 4). Tanzania and Rwanda American University of Beirut Germany 10 South Africa* Lebanon* For a full list of the Foundation’s partner African Leadership Academy Zimbabwe 10 North America institutions, see Figure 4A. MasterCard Located in South Africa with implementing EARTH University partners in Germany, France, Canada, Costa Rica Foundation Scholars hail from 50 countries, France 1 Arizona State University* (ASU) USA, Zimbabwe and Kenya USA with the majority originating from Kenya, TBD* 96 University of Edinburgh Ashesi University Duke University Scotland Uganda, Ghana, Rwanda and Ethiopia. Total 19,338 Ghana USA

Source: The MasterCard Foundation Management *Universities with undergraduate and graduate Scholars. **Universities with graduate Scholars only. Information System (as of August 2016). *Not yet reported

12 Education in Support of Social Transformation: Learning from the First Five Years of The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program 13 FIGURE 5 Gender of MasterCard Foundation Scholars

Program-wide Secondary School Undergraduate Graduate Scholars Scholars Scholars

Over time, institutions in the Program have at international conferences on topics such as developed relationships and have built a strong internships in Africa; co-sponsored research 34% 34% 38% 43% collaborative network. For example, KNUST and with the Foundation on issues such as women’s Men Men Men Men Arizona State University (ASU) have partnered transformative leadership; participation in 66% 66% 62% 57% to create an accelerated master’s degree working groups on transformative leadership Women Women Women Women program at ASU in disciplines relevant to Africa’s and transitions; joint recruitment efforts; and sustainable development. Other examples of curricular partnerships. collective efforts include: joint presentations Source: The MasterCard Foundation Management Information System (as of August 2016)

In line with the Foundation’s aim to provide allowing for interaction among Scholars from FIGURE 6 Cumulative Number of Scholar quality education to talented and marginalized Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. EARTH Graduates, Actual and Projected (by Level of Education) youth, and in recognition of the unique barriers enables Scholars from Latin America and Africa to women and girls’ education and leadership to specialize in felds such as environmental 35000 in Africa, two-thirds of all Scholars are women. conservation and tropical agriculture. AUB These fgures vary slightly by Scholar education provides opportunities for Scholars from Syria, Actual Projected level: 66 percent of secondary school Scholars Lebanon, Palestine and Africa to specialize in 30000 are women, while 62 percent of undergraduate health sciences. and 57 percent of graduate Scholars are women. 25000 (Figure 5). North American universities, though host to a small share of all Scholars, provide high-quality 20000 B PARTNERS learning opportunities for undergraduate and graduate studies outside of the continent. 15000 The Foundation began with three African Leadership Academy, a two-year college founding university partners – Ashesi preparatory program, does not host Scholars, 10000

University in Ghana, EARTH University in Costa but places a select number of its students as Scholars Number of Rica, and American University of Beirut Scholars at universities in Africa, North America 5000 (AUB) in Lebanon – and has since built and Europe. Camfed supports thousands of partnerships with 21 additional universities secondary school Scholars, and helps to place and education NGOs to deliver the a large share of these at higher education 0 Program to Scholars at the secondary, institutions in Ghana. University of Edinburgh 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 undergraduate and graduate levels. joined as the frst partner in Europe, offering Twelve partners are in Africa, nine are in North on-campus opportunities for Scholars at the Total Secondary Undergraduate Graduate America and three are universities in other undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as regions. As two of the first partners selected online master’s degree opportunities for Scholars Source: The MasterCard Foundation Management Information System (as of August 2016). under the Program, the American University of across the network. Beirut and EARTH University provide a global perspective,

14 Education in Support of Social Transformation: Learning from the First Five Years of The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program 15 III. EARLY LEARNING: RECRUIT, EDUCATE, PREPARE, TRANSITION

The fndings in this report span the Program’s four to measure, challenging to compare between Scholars, and in some cases have developed new through a hybrid approach of both targeted and stages: recruit, educate, prepare and transition. and countries and unworkable from the perspective practices to ensure they reach youth matching diffused recruiting, partnering with organizations touch on many aspects of Program implementation of partners. The Foundation and its partners the Foundation’s three core selection criteria. A through its local networks and advertising in and early outcomes. later settled on a more fexible and multi-faceted review by researchers at Mathematica of how three districts in Ghana. At all the NGO partners, defnition of disadvantage, which included a partners recruit and select Scholars found that a representative selection committee composed A RECRUIT variety of markers. In addition to household some institutions use a “targeted” method of of staff members and community leaders helps income, it includes dwelling type and location, recruiting, by partnering with a small number to select Scholars. Defining Selection Criteria status of parents (deceased or alive), parents’ of organizations (such as NGOs or secondary education level, family size, disability, and schools like African Leadership Academy) Tertiary Partners Identifying and selecting thousands of whether a student lives in a confict-affected that facilitate access to candidates. Some academically talented, economicall y area or is a migrant or refugee. This defnition partners use a “diffused” approach, based on Tertiary partners adopted a variety of innovations to disadvantaged youth primarily from Africa has proven more workable and has enabled the widespread advertising through the Internet, address the challenge of reaching underrepresented was never regarded as a simple proposition. Foundation and its partners to reach a range radio, social media, newspapers, and in the case and disadvantaged populations in Africa. These With millions of youth potentially ftting this of individuals who face distinct challenges to of universities, recruiting trips. Other partners use partners also use a range of targeted, hybrid description, the Foundation and its partners faced accessing quality education. a “hybrid” of these two approaches.18 Partners and diffused methods depending on the partner. an enormous task. at the secondary and tertiary levels identify a U.S. partners, including Stanford, Michigan State, The second criterion – academic promise – being number of best practices in recruiting, including University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), Unlike many high-profle scholarship programs fairly straightforward, has allowed partners to beginning the recruiting process as early as Wellesley and Duke University conduct annual, such as the Rhodes Scholarship or Fulbright continue their regular practice of examining a possible, increasing collaboration with local joint recruitment visits to the continent, offering Scholar Program, The MasterCard Foundation student’s grades, performance on national and partners, mobilizing current Scholars and alumni informational sessions and application support Scholars Program adopted a model in which the entrance exams, and written applications. The third of the Program, and budgeting for intensive at a variety of high schools. Canadian university Program’s university and education-NGO partners criterion – leadership potential and commitment communication with applicants.19 partners, including University of Toronto, McGill carried out the process of selecting Scholars using to give back – is less clear cut. This focus sets the University and University of British Columbia the Foundation’s qualifying criteria. Program apart from other international scholarship Secondary School Partners hold similar joint recruitment visits to Africa. programs, and has resulted in the attraction and The American University of Beirut ‘dovetails’ the An early challenge in recruiting Scholars was to selection of young people distinctly motivated While most secondary school NGO partners Scholars Program recruitment criteria with its other clearly defne the Program’s core criteria, namely to create positive change in their communities. already had selection processes in place for scholarship programs for disadvantaged youth. economic disadvantage, academic talent, and Partners gauge these qualities through written reaching marginalized youth, the exception both potential and commitment to give back submissions and interviews where possible, and was BRAC. Originally based in Bangladesh and as a leader. Defning and measuring economic seek demonstrations of an applicant’s leadership operating in Uganda since 2006, BRAC was well disadvantage was particularly challenging, but and service through positions held, awareness of established with over 180 offces nationwide, critical given the Foundation’s goal of providing community needs, and efforts to challenge the but had not previously offered scholarships. It access to education for talented youth who status quo. had to develop processes for recruiting and otherwise would have been unable to afford it. selecting Scholars. BRAC and the Equity Group Finding Scholars: Universities Adopt New Foundation in Kenya use a diffused approach, Early in the Program, the Foundation asked Ways of Doing Business mounting nationwide communication campaigns its partners to use a common defnition o f and using a standard application that includes “economic disadvantage”: individuals whose Partners face the challenge of putting these national exam results as one of its flters. FAWE in household incomes fall within the bottom two Program principles and criteria into action. At Ethiopia uses a targeted approach, partnering with quintiles of income distribution in their countries. the secondary and tertiary level, they employ a a small number of schools and other organizations This defnition, however, proved rigid, diffcult range of processes for recruiting and selecting to recruit applicants. Camfed recruits Scholars Hudu, a secondary school MasterCard Foundation Scholar at Camfed, Ghana. Photo Credit: Jake Naughton

16 Education in Support of Social Transformation: Learning from the First Five Years of The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program 17 U.S. universities have also built targeted recipients that they currently select based on Reaching Scholars Indirectly: Building awareness campaigns about the Program. In relationships with EducationUSA offces within national exam results. African universities are often Recognition of the Program other countries, more could be done to publicize American embassies to facilitate applications for in a strong position to assess levels of disadvantage the Program, especially for youth who live in U.S. universities and student visas. In partnership among potential Scholars (e.g., through interviews The Foundation’s approach to recruiting Scholars rural areas, lack access to the Internet and do with African Leadership Academy, the Foundation and home visits). African universities have built through partners has allowed it to focus on areas not come into contact with individuals who are also convened a headmasters meeting in 2013, partnerships with the Program’s secondary school where it has special expertise and interest, such aware of the Program. Additionally, research in connecting heads of African high schools with NGOs, who are supporting thousands of Scholars as defning selection criteria for Scholars and Africa suggests that knowledge of an available university partners and building relationships to to complete a quality secondary education, thus identifying support services and leadership merit-based scholarship can increase effort create a pipeline of applicants. The meeting also creating a pipeline of students prepared for study training they need while leaving the selection and attendance among teachers and students, facilitated knowledge transfer: secondary schools at the university level in Africa. process to the institutions themselves. While and lead to improved learning outcomes for all learned how to better position their students to this means that the Foundation does not have students in class, not just those who may be apply to international universities, and universities One of the recruitment strategies utilized by as direct a relationship with individual Scholars, eligible for or receive the scholarship.22 Such gained an understanding of the challenges facing the African Institute of Mathematical Sciences it opens up the possibility for catalyzing lasting opportunities to impact much larger numbers headmasters and secondary students, such as (AIMS) was to work closely with secondary institutional change in relation to how these of students raise the bar in terms of designing access to information on university opportunities, school partner FAWE to recruit young women institutions reach and educate disadvantaged effective communications efforts that build wider application processes, and funds to cover test from disadvantaged backgrounds. This was youth. Nevertheless, building wide recognition knowledge of the Program among youth and and application fees. not a practice that AIMS had prioritized before, for a new Program and a distinctive MasterCard global stakeholders. suggesting that such twinning relationships Foundation Scholar identity takes time. In some cases, North American universities among partners can be productive and can Recruitment Results: Is the Foundation altered their admissions requirements or lower recruitment costs.20 Kwame Nkrumah In 2014, two years into the Program, the Reaching the Right Youth? waived application fees (which can be US$100 University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Foundation conducted a reputational audit. Over or more) to facilitate applications from African a large public university in Ghana, expanded its 400 stakeholders in the U.S., Canada, Europe and The Foundation and its partners have made Scholars. Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in admission of underrepresented students. Its “Less Africa were interviewed, representing partner considerable strides in creating workable Rwanda has partnered with Bridge2Rwanda, Endowed School” model provides opportunities organizations, multi-lateral agencies, NGOs, defnitions for the three selection criteria and a non-proft organization that assists talented for top performing girls and boys from all of research institutions, academia, government and putting new processes into practice. How well Rwandan students to apply to competitive the lowest resourced public schools in Ghana. the private sector. Youth were not surveyed. The are these processes working? universities. Once CMU in Rwanda identifes Support through the Scholars Program allowed audit found that nearly three in 10 stakeholders potential Scholars, Bridge2Rwanda works with KNUST to reach deeper into this pool to select in North America and Europe, and four in 10 Criteria 1: Disadvantage them to prepare for and take examinations, and and support additional disadvantaged students. in Africa, were familiar with The MasterCard Secondary School Scholars complete their application to CMU, Rwanda. The Scholars Program has also enabled African Foundation Scholars Program, a relatively Early evidence from baseline surveys of and data university partners to further internationalize their high proportion given the Program’s newness. on the 2014 cohort of secondary school Scholars student body. Support is given to each partner to Familiarity with the Program among these from Rwanda, Uganda and Ethiopia indicate that recruit a share of disadvantaged African students stakeholders is still quite low however, compared the Program does seem to be reaching large “Leveraging our partners is incredibly from other countries, something rarely done prior to more established scholarship programs such numbers of disadvantaged youth.23 helpful in [recruitment]… We are successful to the Program due to a lack of funds. as the Rhodes Scholarship (74 percent familiarity in what we are doing largely because of the in North America and Europe, and 57 percent Secondary school Scholars with households living help our partners [a range of secondary As these examples show, African and North in Africa) and the Ford International Fellowship on less than $2.50 a day24: schools in Africa] provide in identifying American universities have created new processes Program (63 percent familiarity in North America • 84 percent of Scholars in Ethiopia students and helping us ensure we have for recruiting and selecting underrepresented and Europe, and 74 percent in Africa).21 • 82 percent of Scholars in Rwanda the fullest understanding of the students…” students from Africa. These efforts are substantial, • 71 percent of Scholars in Uganda – African Leadership Academy and often require additional resources, networks Awareness of the Scholars Program is likely much and staffing. As part of the Program, the lower among the Foundation’s target community Of these, shares of secondary school Scholars Foundation has been able to provide at least of disadvantaged African youth, especially in households living on less than $1.25 a day25 Participation in the Program has also helped the partial support for these efforts, yet even with in countries not served by the Foundation’s (extreme poor): Foundation’s tertiary African partners, which the expansion of admissions to university for secondary education NGO partners. In countries • 57 percent of Scholars in Rwanda include some of Africa’s leading universities, attract disadvantaged youth through the Program, the such as Ghana, Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda, these • 33 percent of Scholars in Ethiopia and recruit economically disadvantaged students number of eligible students far exceeds those NGOs have conducted substantial outreach and • 32 percent of Scholars in Uganda beyond the small number of national scholarship who are able to attend university.

18 Education in Support of Social Transformation: Learning from the First Five Years of The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program 19 Secondary school Scholars whose mother did not their secondary or undergraduate education on Tertiary Scholars must all meet the high academic These results suggest that, among secondary complete one year of secondary education26: scholarships.27 Data from a sampling of Scholars standards required by partner universities for school Scholars, Foundation partners have • 89 percent of Scholars in Ethiopia indicate that, as is the case at the secondary level, admission prior to being selected as MasterCard selected individuals with a strong commitment to • 74 percent of Scholars in Rwanda the Foundation and its partners are selecting Foundation Scholars. Such academic talent is contributing to their communities and to tackling • 64 percent of Scholars in Uganda tertiary Scholars who face signifcant challenges usually measured by SAT/ACT/TOEFFL test larger societal problems, and who demonstrate to accessing an education. For example, 52 scores, grade point averages, scores on national attitudes showing leadership potential. Shares of Secondary school Scholars also face other percent of these undergraduate and graduate secondary school leaving exams and the written Scholars with positions of leadership are lower, socioeconomic barriers refective of their country’s Scholars came from households whose primary university application. Entrance to university indicating that it may be too soon in life (upon context. In Uganda, 30 percent of secondary head was a subsistence farmer, and 16 percent partner institutions is highly competitive. completion of primary school) to expect to see school Scholars have been displaced by natural from families headed by labourers, street vendors a record of leadership by all eligible girls and disaster or confict; 42 percent of secondary or domestic helpers (Figure 7).28 Criterion 3: Leadership Potential and boys. Demonstration of commitment to give school Scholars in Rwanda lost at least one Commitment to Giving Back back, examples of service and attitudes showing parent; and 17 percent of Scholars in Ethiopia are Criterion 2: Academic Potential Secondary School Scholars leadership potential may be more useful ways of orphans. Clearly, Scholars from these countries Are the Foundation and its partners selecting Based on survey evidence and data from selecting Scholars at the secondary level. entering the Program at the secondary level in youth with demonstrated academic talent? applications, secondary school Scholars also 2014 represented a group of youth facing many Early evidence indicates that a large majority of appear highly motivated to contribute to their Tertiary Scholars disadvantages, measured in a variety of ways. secondary school Scholars are drawn from the top community and society. Tertiary Scholars have also demonstrated a cohort of their country’s academic performers commitment to improving society and their Undergraduate and Graduate Scholars based on national primary school leaving exams Service: Number of Scholars in Uganda who agree communities, and have a record of volunteerism. Identifying disadvantage is more complicated (77 percent of Scholars in Uganda; 74 percent that it is important to30: at the tertiary level, where students who are of Scholars in Rwanda). In Ethiopia, 49 percent • Do something good for society – 97 percent Fields in which tertiary Scholars volunteered prior qualifed to enter university or a graduate program of Scholars ranked in the top 10 percent of their • Look after the environment – 96 percent to entering the Program33: have by defnition already overcome major region on the primary school leaving exam.29 • Help people in need – 94 percent • Education – 29 percent obstacles. Thirty-two percent have completed • Make their community a better • Health – 18 percent place to live – 94 percent • Environment/relief – 15 percent • Government/rights – 10 percent Secondary Scholars in Rwanda ranked similar • Fields related to children – 8 percent FIGURE 7 Occupation of Primary Head of Household 31 (Tertiary Scholars) statements equally as high. A lower but still • Women’s empowerment – 8 percent signifcant share of secondary school Scholars also demonstrated leadership and service Looking forward, the areas in which undergraduate Subsistence farmers, fshers, hunters and gatherers 52 3% experience prior to entering the Program. and graduate Scholars hope to see social change Labourers, street vendors, domestic help 16 1% closely align with the felds in which they have Professionals* 6 7% Leadership: Share of secondary school Scholars career aspirations (Figure 8). Clerical support workers 4 9% who have32: Service and sales workers 4 8% • “Stood up for what I believe, even when my friends disagreed” – 84 percent in Crafts and related trades workers 2 7% Uganda; 77 percent in Rwanda Technicians and associate professionals 1 7% • Served as leader of a club/activity in past Skilled agricultural workers 1 6% year – 37 percent in Rwanda, 35 percent Managers 0 8% in Uganda Armed forces 0 7% • Helped a classmate three or more days a Plant and machine operators and assemblers 0 3% week in past year – 54 percent in Rwanda • Helped a classmate or neighbour three Other 6 0% or more days a week in past year – Don’t know 1 4% 82 percent in Uganda Narmeen Shehadeh, a MasterCard Foundation Scholar at the American University of Beirut, Faculty of Health Sciences. Photo Credit: Wayne Price Source: The MasterCard Foundation Management Information System (as of June 2016). *Includes teachers.

20 Education in Support of Social Transformation: Learning from the First Five Years of The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program 21 FIGURE 8 Undergraduate and Graduate Scholars: Considerations: Recruiting Scholars partner organizations. Upon entrance to the Social Change and Career Aspirations and Expanding Access to Education Program, secondary education NGO partners The Foundation, working with its partners and provide orientation programs and materials to Agriculture 37% 38% Scholars, is taking the following considerations Scholars to prepare them for the transition to into account when refning processes to recruit secondary school (with the exception of Camfed, Social and humanitarian services 16% 9% Scholars to the Program: which selects Scholars on a rolling basis). Tutoring services are provided to Scholars by all secondary Small business/entrepreneurial 14% 16% • Demand for secondary and higher education partners. These schools offer rigorous academic among disadvantaged African youth still far training based on national curriculum standards Skilled trades 8% 9% exceeds supply, with the main barrier being so that students are well positioned to take Health and medical 9% cost. Continued support for educational national university entrance exams. 12% attainment through the Scholars Program Education 7% is warranted. Some African partners have By the end of 2025, some 5,500 female 3% suggested reducing the funding package MasterCard Foundation Scholars with Camfed Information technology 4% 3% per student to accommodate more students. in Ghana will have enrolled in 29 of the top- Social change aspirations Nonetheless, even more could be done by rated secondary schools located in 18 school Public service/government 3% Career aspirations 4% universities, governments, funders, NGOs, districts, based on the government’s system of and the private sector in Africa and globally categorization.35 Some 5,000 Scholars will have Other 3% 6% to expand access to secondary school and accessed quality secondary education in Uganda university. The Foundation could be a by 2020 through BRAC’s efforts to place them Source: The MasterCard Foundation Management Information System (as of June 2016). convener for such efforts. in more than 100 high-quality public and private secondary schools across the country. Similarly, Learning from the Recruit Stage34 • Recruitment of talented, disadvantaged African • Low cost and fexible forms of education Equity Group Foundation will have placed In summary, our examination of efforts to recruit youth requires non-African universities to reach fnancing, including student loans and work- Scholars in more than 600 quality secondary youth based on the Program’s three criteria beyond the top high schools. For this reason, study programs, should be developed to schools throughout Kenya in its Wings to Fly revealed the following: greater resources in time, travel and staffng serve this population. The Foundation could program. FAWE will have placed 1,200 Scholars are required. play a catalyzing role in this area. at 17 top schools in Rwanda, and 800 Scholars • The Foundation and its partners are successfully • University partnerships for joint recruitment at eight top schools in Ethiopia. recruiting the right profle of youth who meet B EDUCATE spread costs and knowledge among partner the Program’s criteria. institutions. Relationships between NGOs After being selected, MasterCard Foundation • A broader, multi-faceted definition of supporting secondary school scholarships and Scholars embark on a journey of learning at disadvantage as a selection criterion that universities can create a pipeline for candidates secondary school or university, among a new set includes aspects such as orphanhood, disability to reach university. of peers. They are often some distance from home, or living in confict-affected areas is more • Best practices identifed by partners include whether in their country of birth or abroad. This workable than a narrow defnition of economic beginning the recruitment process as early as stage in the Program is designed to empower disadvantage based on income. It also better possible, increasing collaboration with local Scholars to prepare themselves for successful refects the range of challenges many African partners, and ensuring current and alumni contributions to their economies and societies. youth face when accessing education. Scholars understand the recruitment process • Most secondary school Scholars are academic and become advocates for the Program. Academic Preparation achievers performing within the top national • Elite universities are adopting new recruitment cohort upon entering the Program, as measured Secondary School Scholars and selection approaches. They are also by national exams. Scholars enroll in a variety of high-quality public expanding the numbers of disadvantaged and private secondary schools, both boarding • While recruiting Scholars at the secondary students they recruit from Africa due to and day schools, selected by the Foundation’s school level, it is important to look for leadership participation in the Scholars Program. Tafesse, a secondary school Scholar at Forum for African Women potential and examples of service rather than Educationalists, Ethiopia. Photo Credit: Jennifer Huxta leadership positions due to these Scholars’ early stage in life.

22 Education in Support of Social Transformation: Learning from the First Five Years of The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program 23 Undergraduate and Graduate Scholars Partners, especially those with large cohorts of Among the 237 Scholars studying at the (Figure 10). A large majority of Scholars seem to Tertiary Scholars accepted into the Program Scholars, such as Makerere University, Ashesi, graduate level for a master’s degree, the most have overcome hardships to perform at or above study at highly competitive educational Michigan State University and Kwame Nkrumah popular areas of study are mathematics and the average level of their peers at these highly institutions. Upon arrival, Scholars receive a University of Science and Technology have computer science (40 percent); agriculture and competitive and rigorous academic institutions. range of orientation services, often in the form increased staffng and support service offerings, natural resources (15 percent); architecture and These data, however, are preliminary, and based of one- to two-week “boot camps” during the many of which are now also available to a range of engineering (12 percent); social sciences and law on the frst two, relatively small cohorts of end of summer and ongoing counselling during international, disadvantaged, and other students (10 percent); business, management, and public tertiary Scholars. their frst year. Scholar-specifc orientation needing assistance. administration (8 percent); and physical and life and support needs identifed and addressed sciences (7 percent).37 Yet, while the majority of Scholars seem to be by partners include: cultural sensitization, Undergraduate Scholars in the Program have performing very well academically, data on GPAs introduction to unfamiliar pedagogical and chosen a broad range of felds of study. The most Undergraduate and Graduate Scholars’ also suggest that, as is common in any university learning practices, personal wellness, health popular felds are (Figure 9): Academic Performance setting, some students need additional academic counselling and services, and fnancial literacy Given the highly competitive environments assistance. Partners are exploring with the training. Scholars are frequently matched with • Agriculture, natural resources in which they are studying, and the barriers Foundation a variety of ways to accommodate a more senior Scholar, and this peer support is and conservation they overcame to get there, how are Scholars and support these Scholars, including, the highly valued according to Scholar surveys.36 • Architecture and engineering performing academically? Early data from creation of a common set of principles to address • Business, management and partners, and drawn from undergraduate and their needs; intervening early; providing extra public administration graduate Scholars enrolled in the 2014–15 academic and other counselling; reducing • Mathematics, computer academic year, show that three-quarters of course loads; and possibly allowing extra time and information sciences these Scholars had GPAs ranging from 3.0 to 4.0 to graduate.

FIGURE 9 Tertiary (Alumni and Scholar) FIGURE 10 2014–2015 GPA Distribution Broad Field of Study of Tertiary Scholars

Agriculture, natural resources and conservation 19% 50% 18%

Business, management and public administration 10% 14% 40% Mathematics, computer and information sciences 14% 14%

Social and behavioural sciences and law 7% 13% 30% Architecture, engineering, and related technologies 24% 10%

Physical and life sciences and technologies 6% 10% 20% 2%

Health, parks, recreation and ftness Percent of Scholars 3% Male Visual and performing arts, and 1% communications technologies 2% Female 10% 9% Undecided 9%

Other 8% 0% 9% 0–0 5 1 0–1 5 1 5–2 0 2 0–2 5 2 5–3 0 3 0–3 5 3 5–4 0

Source: The MasterCard Foundation Management Information System (as of June 2016). Source: The MasterCard Foundation Management Information System.

24 Education in Support of Social Transformation: Learning from the First Five Years of The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program 25 Scholar Retention Leadership Working Group with its institutional FIGURE 11 Transformative Leadership Framework Given the intense academic environment and partners and convened the Transformative major adjustments required of Scholars embarking Leadership Advisory Group, composed of I ns t r u c t i o n on higher education, often at some distance from experts in the area of leadership and education.39 e home, do most Scholars complete their programs Informed by Scholar input and 18 months of t i c a c M P r o d e of study? Attrition rates so far are very low, with collaboration, these groups developed a common l less than one percent of tertiary Scholars leaving Transformative Leadership Framework (Figure 11). 38 the Program prior to completion of their studies. t R c DS E e e Adaptability I N T f l S l f M e These data, however, are based on the small e c R t number of Scholars in the frst two cohorts; in Transformative Leadership: A Defnition Self-awareness coming years it will be possible to examine whether Courage Transformative leadership is a relatively Critical Thinking retention rates remain high as Scholar cohort Empathy recent concept in the feld of leadership sizes increase signifcantly. Thoughtful selection Vision studies. The Scholars Program defnes Collaboration criteria, processes and the suite of academic Integrity transformative leadership as the act of and psychosocial support services available to engaging others, in an ethical manner, Resilience Scholars may help explain the high retention Creativity to generate positive and lasting change. Humility to date. As described above, the Foundation is Transformative leadership relies on Inclusiveness working with partners to ensure Scholars receive Communication teamwork, relationships, networks and peer Curiosity the support they need (academic, psychosocial, support. Transformative leaders are creative Ethical Action etc.) to remain in the Program. visionaries who exhibit courage, empathy, resilience and a desire to give back. Professional Skills S K IL L S Understanding Transformative Leadership

In addition to academic preparation, Scholars also prepare themselves for leadership. Since The Transformative Leadership Framework is the outset of the Program, the Foundation intended to guide the Foundation and its partners R eflect has worked closely with its partners and as they develop programming on transformative Scholars to develop a shared understanding leadership for Scholars. It defnes transformative of transformative leadership and how best to leadership and lays out core competencies of a strengthen these qualities and skills in Scholars. In transformative leader, including key skills (such as The Foundation and its partners have supported in terms of past leadership experience, age, 2014, the Foundation created the Transformative adaptability, critical thinking and self-awareness) several research projects on transformative accumulated knowledge and the heterogeneity and mindsets (such as courage, empathy and leadership, including a report on women’s of partners. A common feature to both levels, vision). The Framework also identifies three transformative leadership in Africa, and a research however, is Scholars’ strong sense of identity as essential modalities for developing transformative project to better understand the views of young transformative leaders. The values and concepts leadership: instruction, model and practice. It African women on transformative leadership.40 underlying transformative leadership infuse emphasizes that the opportunity for refection the Program at all stages, from recruitment, across each of these modalities should be included Transformative Leadership Programming: academic education and leadership training within the Scholar experience. Instruction includes Instruction, Model, Practice to preparing and transitioning to further efforts in and out of the classroom to teach and education, employment or entrepreneurship. share leadership skills and mindsets. Model refers A review of partners’ programming to help Being an authentic, transformative leader able to the opportunity to expose Scholars to role foster transformative leadership among to inspire and take action in order to improve models and transformative leaders, both personally Scholars found that a variety of modalities are the lives of others is thus a foundational value and indirectly by learning about famous and lesser employed to instruct, model and practice these and expectation of the Program, and one that known leaders in Africa and globally. Practice is the skills and mindsets. This programming varies is refected in how the Scholars see themselves process of Scholars actively engaging in activities signifcantly between the secondary and tertiary as individuals.41 that require and enable them to exercise their levels, due to differences in these two cohorts leadership skills and mindsets. University-level Scholars participating in a leadership workshop at Baobab Summit: Ghana 2016. Photo Credit: Illume Creative Studio

26 Education in Support of Social Transformation: Learning from the First Five Years of The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program 27 Transformative Leadership: Instruction Early evidence indicates that training in leadership FIGURE 12 Opportunities for Instructing, Modelling Secondary School Leadership Training is making a difference for Scholars. In a survey of and Practising Transformative Leadership (The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program Partners) All partners at the secondary school level offer tertiary Scholar alumni, 83 percent say that The some form of training in transformative leadership MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program helped to Scholars. They face challenges, however, in them “to become leaders and take on leadership providing personalized leadership training due roles in their community.”43 20 to large cohort sizes (up to several thousand 10 Scholars), dispersion of Scholars across hundreds 15 of schools, limited resources for such training “I came here and realized that leadership is 9 and the need for Scholars to go through normal not all about occupying positions; leadership 10 9 schooling with their classmates. To address these is all about being a servant leader, serving 11 challenges, Camfed, for example, provides a nine- the people that you ’re leading.” 5 activity/support activity/support 7 African day leadership training camp during the summer Number of partners 5

– a MasterCard Foundation Scholar who offer each type of Non-African to girls participating in the Program, in which 0 1 Instructing 2 Modelling 3 Practising Scholars discuss leadership skills including self- awareness, understanding personal strengths Yet the review of secondary and tertiary Source: Mathematica, “Transformative Leadership,” September 2015; chart based on telephone interviews conducted and goal-setting. They also identify problems in from November 2014 to February 2015 with 12 African and 11 non-African partners. leadership programming found that while their communities and develop an action plan partners generally offer many opportunities for to address them. instruction on transformative leadership, Scholars have fewer opportunities to model and practise Gender and Leadership Training graduated prior to the creation of the Scholars these skills and mindsets (Figure 12). Also, while Based on a survey of secondary school Scholars Program, researchers at UC Berkeley and “I see leadership not as something you all partners’ leadership programming is informed in Uganda, opportunities exist to broaden Michigan State University found that African necessarily do and a specific set of by the African context (e.g., by learning from gender and leadership perspectives among women alumni were more likely than their actions and results, but as a method of examples of African leaders, drawing on African some Scholars. For example, 42 percent of male male counterparts (57 percent compared to infuencing people and society— a method case studies and scholars), few partners offer secondary school Scholars in Uganda said that 49 percent) to live and work outside of Africa. for infuencing social change.” gender-specifc leadership programming, either men make better political leaders than women, According to the report, this “may be in part due – University partner in Africa at the secondary or tertiary level. Girls and women and over a third stated that men should have more to gender norms and hierarchies in Africa that in Africa face particular barriers to accessing rights to a job than women when jobs are scarce.44 pose obstacles to fulflling career aspirations.”46 education and taking leadership positions – These data suggest that additional support for Tertiary-Level Leadership Training from cultural, social, economic and sometimes Female secondary and tertiary Scholars surveyed women’s transformative leadership, and access At the tertiary level, leadership programming legal standpoints. Gender-specifc leadership in Ghana identifed and acknowledged traditional to internships and jobs, could help young women may span one or several weeks, and is often training would help Scholars to recognize and gender norms and expectations as a challenge to overcome these barriers and possibly support woven into orientation programs at the start of better understand these obstacles. It would also transformative leadership for young women in higher rates of return. a Scholar’s undergraduate or graduate career. provide Scholars with strategies to address them, Africa. Children and adolescents are not recognized Additionally, many tertiary partners offer regular while contributing to Scholars’ sense of personal or expected to take part in decision-making, as programming on leadership throughout the year empowerment and self-effcacy. they are considered too young to participate in an “The young girls in my community, they (e.g., through monthly workshops, speakers, or adult domain. Additionally, structural inequalities have a notion that the universities are meant discussion groups). Because each partner offers Training modules in transformative leadership in African societies often disadvantage women, for the boys. So I will encourage them that its own transformative leadership programming, are being developed for all Scholars and will creating a double set of barriers for young women when they do well and get to the secondary the amount and intensity of this training varies be available via the Program’s digital platform, aspiring to be leaders. Nevertheless, young women level, they might be picked [as a MasterCard among Scholars. Baobab. Scholars have contributed to the Scholars in Ghana reported that they are actively Foundation Scholar] and through that they design and roll-out of the platform as well as challenging discriminatory gender norms through will gain leadership skills and through that A review of transformative leadership offerings other programming on transformative leadership their leadership and community efforts.45 the cycle will go on again.” among partners suggests that partners are (e.g., participating in surveys, helping to design modifying their curricula to emphasize leadership the Transformative Leadership Framework and Gender may also impact rates of return of – a MasterCard Foundation Secondary where it may not have been a priority before.42 testing the design of these training modules). Scholars to Africa. In a profle of African alumni School Scholar, Camfed, Ghana of six major U.S. and Canadian universities who

28 Education in Support of Social Transformation: Learning from the First Five Years of The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program 29 Evidence on leadership programming for girls Programs that do offer mentoring often link more Transformative Leadership: Practice of these students agreed with the statement that and young women supports the creation of senior Scholars with those in junior cohorts, a The opportunity to practise leadership is crucial the problems facing their communities (or schools) gender specifc leadership training. Research practice that has been welcomed by Scholars. – as learning by doing is often the most effective were so complex that they could not realistically has shown that creating girl-only safe spaces Providing the large numbers of Scholars in the and lasting way to acquire skills and mindsets. make a difference. Additionally, nearly one in four for mentoring and exploring leadership can be Program with mentors at an individual level, and Many Scholars are able to take advantage of Scholars in Uganda believe upon entering the empowering and could help to develop leadership across these different skills, is highly challenging, a variety of on- and off-campus opportunities Program that it is easier to solve diffcult issues skills and attributes among secondary school and calls for innovative programs and modalities. for practising transformative leadership. On- alone rather than by working with others.50 Scholars. “Overall, safe spaces, whether formal During 2013 and 2014, most Scholars reported campus, partners encourage Scholars to join or informal, offer an environment where girls receiving mentoring from peers, and the vast student council, clubs or other formal interest Pressures of Aspiring to and young women can meet frequently, interact majority were highly satisfed with their mentee groups, to serve as prefects, or to create their Transformative Leadership with their peers, mentors, and positive role experience.48 own clubs in order to practise leadership. Off- Support for transformative leadership can help models, strengthen their social networks and campus, partners facilitate Scholars’ involvement empower Scholars, lending self-efficacy to enjoy freedom of expression and movement. Professors and teachers also serve as important in service learning projects, community outreach, young secondary-level students and bolstering The spaces can also double as a forum in which role models and mentors. All secondary education volunteer efforts and internships. All Scholars the commitment of undergraduate and leadership training, life-skills, vocational training partners select and train teacher mentors from at FAWE, for example, are expected to join graduate Scholars to give back. Yet partners, and fnancial education can be provided.”47 among the teaching staff at host secondary school-based Tuseme (Swahili for ‘let’s speak Foundation staff and Scholars themselves report schools. Common training modules include child out’) Youth Empowerment clubs, where they that expectations to create change in their Transformative Leadership: Model protection, guidance and counselling, academic receive training in life–skills and are supported communities and in Africa as a whole can place Behaviour modelling activities and support offer support, and mentorship. BRAC, for example, to plan and implement give-back projects at their an undue burden on Scholars. The Foundation and Scholars a chance to observe, interact with, and has developed a teacher mentor handbook that schools. At Wellesley College, Scholars take turns partners must walk the line between providing learn from leaders in action, as well as from helps promote consistency in the support that planning monthly Scholars meetings by choosing opportunities for strengthening leadership skills historic examples. This exposure to different teacher-mentors provide to Scholars across a and researching a topic, preparing a presentation and mindsets, and expecting young people to models can inspire Scholars and help them large number of schools. Many universities pair and facilitating the discussion. At AUB, Scholars lead change within what may be entrenched develop their own authentic form of leadership, Scholars with faculty advisors, who serve as participate in group community service activities, systems and forces beyond their control.51 In an based on their own story and values. mentors to Scholars. such as designing and launching health awareness effort to respond to this concern, the Foundation campaigns at local public schools. and its partners have sought to emphasize that Modelling is not limited to leadership alone. The transformative leadership takes many forms, and Foundation and partners have learned that multiple Peer Mentoring at University Scholars throughout the Program also exercise, can be exercised through small acts as well as forms of mentorship are needed to allow Scholars of British Columbia practise and manifest their transformative large, from family to community to society as a to model the different behaviours and skills required leadership through their ‘give-back’ projects whole. They have also emphasized, importantly, During the summer, University of British to be successful students and transformative and activities, which are required at all levels. that being a transformative leader is a journey, Columbia (UBC) pairs each new graduate leaders. These include mentoring on academics, Interviews with female secondary and tertiary not a destination. Scholar with a senior African student who social skills, career-building and leadership. Scholars in Ghana found that giving back and is already on campus. Bimonthly, graduate Less than two-thirds of partners, however, offer contributing to their communities and society Program Satisfaction Scholars at UBC work with a team of Scholars mentorship programs, job-shadowing was the most important driver of these young Like secondary alumni, tertiary MasterCard undergraduate Scholars to host a speaking opportunities, or access to role models. women’s leadership. Importantly, the desire to Foundation Scholar alumni report a high degree event or workshop focused on innovations give back was the main reason and inspiration of satisfaction with the Program. According to in Africa. Recent events have covered issues these young women cited for developing their Mathematica, “[a]lumni report feeling empowered such as entrepreneurship and food security. “I need people who would help me track leadership skills.49 by their participation in The MasterCard Foundation my progress; people who would talk to me, Scholars Program and they are using skills and guide me and help me build [my] career… I Evidence indicates that creating more knowledge acquired in school to solve urgent need someone who would motivate me to opportunities for working in groups could problems in their home countries.” Nearly all remain true to my aspirations, so that I do strengthen secondary school Scholars’ leadership say that the Program prepared them to reach not divert. ” skills and sense of self-efficacy. A survey their educational (94 percent) and professional conducted by researchers at Mathematica of (89 percent) goals, and a further 84 percent say – a MasterCard Foundation Tertiary secondary school Scholars — before they began it helped them to become effective leaders and Scholar, Ghana the Program — attending both BRAC in Uganda to take on leadership roles in their communities.52 and FAWE in Rwanda found that nearly one-third

30 Education in Support of Social Transformation: Learning from the First Five Years of The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program 31 Learning from the Educate Stage • Retention in and satisfaction with the Scholars • Safe spaces for girls should be incorporated Internships in general are unusual at the Our review of efforts to educate Scholars Program is very high so far, suggesting that as part of leadership training at the secondary level, particularly in Africa. Equity both academically and as leaders reveals the selection processes and wraparound services secondary level and an explicit gender Group Foundation (EGF) in Kenya is a pioneer following fndings: are working well for most Scholars. orientation should be included in all in this area, offering internships for outstanding leadership programming for Scholars. secondary school Scholars at its parent company, Preparing for Transformative Leadership53 Academic Preparation Secondary Scholars could also benefit Equity Bank. EGF is also exploring additional • Collaborative efforts with partners and • Three-quarters of tertiary Scholars are from more opportunities to strengthen their Kenya-based opportunities to provide specialized Scholars to defne transformative leadership performing very well academically, at or employability and life skills. employment training to Scholars. BRAC is and develop consensus on skills and mindsets above the 3.0 to 4.0 grade point level. another organization that offers secondary are resulting in new programming in modelling • The Foundation and its partners should Scholars internships upon graduation, utilizing • A small number of Scholars however, are and practising leadership, and new ways of clarify expectations regarding leadership their extensive network in Uganda. struggling academically, for a range of thinking at partner institutions. development, emphasizing that transformative reasons, including diffculty in adjusting to leadership is a lifelong journey that can take • Most Scholars have opportunities for Tertiary Scholars a new culture and academic environment; many forms and can occur at multiple levels, instruction in transformative leadership, but At the tertiary level, all Scholars are required and health issues; and poor ft with their chosen from family to community to society at large. access to programming is fragmented. There supported to complete at least one internship or major. Partners are helping Scholars are even fewer opportunities for Scholars • Given the variation in Scholars’ access to research project in their home country, usually address these challenges through early to model (through mentoring) and practise transformative leadership training, the during the summer months. Internships are critical identifcation, academic bridging programs such leadership. Foundation should develop additional to helping Scholars better understand themselves prior to university, tutoring, summer school, leadership programming and ensure it is and make education and career choices, develop and in limited cases, a change of majors or • Scholars require multiple forms of mentoring accessible to a wider group of Scholars. professional skills, stay connected to their home additional time to complete degrees. – academic, psychosocial, professional and countries and create valuable networks that will leadership – yet personal mentoring is resource • Tertiary Scholars often need a range of C PREPARE help them secure employment. Partners work intensive and diffcult to provide to all Scholars. support, including cultural sensitization diligently to obtain internships for Scholars, (particularly for those studying abroad); • All partners incorporate African contexts into As Scholars educate themselves both but this remains a challenge, as internships are introduction to unfamiliar pedagogical and their leadership training, but most leadership academically and as leaders, they must also not part of the organizational culture for many learning practices; personal wellness and offerings lack a gender focus, according to a begin to prepare for their eventual transition organizations and companies in Africa. Tertiary health counselling and services; and fnancial review of partners’ leadership programming. out of the Scholars Program, whether to further partners in North America often rely on faculty literacy training. education, employment or entrepreneurship. The research projects or other in-country connections • Expectations regarding what it means to be Foundation and its partners offer a variety of to help Scholars secure internship opportunities • Universities have strengthened and a transformative leader can place a heavy services and experiences for Scholars to help them on the continent. expanded these academic and support burden on some Scholars. Clarifying that do so. Additionally, the Foundation hopes that services, suggesting that institutions are transformative leadership does not require by building a strong reputation for the Scholars Africa Careers Network making changes that can also benefit position or status, and can be exercised at Program, graduates will have greater access To complement partners’ efforts to foster students outside the Program. multiple levels, can alleviate this burden. to opportunities and choices as they progress internship and career opportunities for Scholars throughout their careers. in Africa, particularly for those who are studying abroad, the Foundation partnered with African Considerations: Educating Scholars • To build transformative leadership, more Internships and Career Counselling Leadership Academy (ALA), a leading private Academically and as Transformative Leaders opportunities need to be created for college preparatory academy in South Africa, to The Foundation, working with its partners, is taking Scholars to model and practise these skills Secondary School Scholars create a pilot, known as the Africa Careers Network the following considerations into account in terms and mindsets. Given the growing number Partners offer secondary Scholars exposure (ACN). ACN is an innovative job placement service of educating Scholars both academically and as of Scholars who will be participating in the to different career paths and counselling on that uses individualized counselling and an online leaders of positive change: Program in future years, alternative, scalable course selection. Given that recent surveys job-matching portal to connect students to a models for mentoring should be explored. show that nearly all secondary school Scholars wide variety of internship and job opportunities • Additional support services should be made All Scholars should be encouraged to seize hope to attend higher education, they may need in Africa. Through ACN, ALA has committed to available to the small number of Scholars who opportunities to practise transformative additional assistance such as formal university placing 1,000 students – both those from ALA are struggling academically. leadership while studying. counselling, information on scholarships and as well as MasterCard Foundation Scholars support to complete university applications.54 from partner organizations – into internships

32 Education in Support of Social Transformation: Learning from the First Five Years of The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program 33 and jobs over seven years.55 Though this target suggesting that alternative methods for helping Fields in which ACN users found internships and Networking is ambitious, it was clear from the outset that Scholars secure internships and employment in full-time positions (2015): Networking is critical to helping Scholars position this would be an exploratory effort to assist a Africa will be needed.57 themselves for transitions of their choice. Among minority of Scholars, given the large numbers in • Consulting (27 percent) tertiary Scholar alumni graduating in 2014 and the Program. These services have been designed Experience from the frst years with ACN has • Education (19 percent) 2015, over half spontaneously mentioned the specifcally for tertiary Scholars studying abroad, also shown that many Scholars could beneft • Engineering/Energy/Manufacturing importance of the personal and professional given the diffculty of fnding and applying for from additional, tailored support in a number (14 percent) networks and community they developed as work opportunities in Africa from afar. of ways: strategizing around their return home; • Health (10 percent) Scholars. Thirty-nine percent said that these narrowing their job search; counselling on • Finance (8 percent) networks were the most valuable aspect of ACN offers internships across a variety of options, including graduate school; accessing the Program.61 Secondary school Scholars industries and felds, including both the public research on fellowships and employment North American and African universities have interviewed also cited networking as one of the and private sectors. ACN has over 200 employer opportunities; and building an Africa-focused worked to supplement ACN’s support by important benefts of being a Scholar.62 This partners in 44 countries, ranging from large academic and professional network, including strengthening their own career services. North fnding was corroborated by African alumni of corporations with pan-African reach, such as connecting with alumni and faculty.58 ACN and American universities such as Michigan State U.S. and Canadian universities who graduated Google, IBM, Dalberg and Colgate-Palmolive, university staff emphasize that Scholars should University (MSU) and University of British from international universities prior to the start to medium-sized companies, non-profit start their internship and job searches as early Columbia (UBC) found that they needed to of the Scholars Program.63 organizations and small businesses. Scholars as possible, as identifying and applying for expand resources devoted to identifying and access the portal each year in the fall, where opportunities can take many months or more.59 securing internships and other positions.60 they receive tips and examples for preparing Scholars with specialized interests should work EARTH University reports that given the Baobab Digital Platform their CVs and cover letters, as well as listings of with faculty and mentors to identify and secure specialized disciplines such as agriculture and Online networking is available to tertiary internship and job opportunities. ACN creates a internship positions. conservation that its Scholars are pursuing, it Scholars and secondary Scholar graduates career book with the bios and CVs of each job has relied on its faculty and networks (such as through the Baobab platform, an online seeker. With assistance from ACN counsellors, the organization RUFORUM, a consortium of platform created through a partnership Scholars submit online applications via the portal 60 African universities supporting graduate between the Foundation and Arizona State on a rolling basis. ACN reviews applications and training in agriculture) to identify appropriate University. Developed through intensive creates a shortlist for its partner employers. internships for Scholars. Increasingly, Scholars collaboration with partners and Scholars, Employers then select and notify successful are generating their own internship opportunities, the Baobab platform enriches the Scholar candidates directly. through networking, outreach and social media. experience at key junctures, from acceptance into the Program, through academic and In its frst two years (2014 to 2015), ACN placed With Foundation support, some African leadership preparation, graduation, and students in over 350 internships. Thirty-fve universities like Makerere University have transition to work and lifelong learning. percent of these went to MasterCard Foundation increased staffng and opened career services Scholars themselves have taken an active Scholars. ACN has flled a gap by creating a pan- offces to support Scholars and other students role shaping the platform ’s design and many African platform for information on internships, in fnding internships and employment. Many of its features, via interactive sessions as well jobs and research fellowship opportunities on African universities are covering new ground in and pre - launch testing. the continent. Importantly, both ACN and the this respect, as career services have not typically Scholars Program more broadly have helped to been offered at these institutions. KNUST The Baobab platform also offers interactive develop a culture of internships in Africa.56 Yet the has established a new approach to offering community dialogue, leadership training hands-on, time intensive approach and personal internships at scale: it places up to 30 Scholars modules and career- building services. assistance provided by ACN may not be scalable, with a single large employer at a time. The level of investment in the platform, Rachel Nanteza from Uganda, a MasterCard Foundation Scholar at Michigan State University. Photo Credit: Wayne Price participation by Scholars in its design and its degree of customization are unusual for an alumni network. If successful, it could be a model for other community platforms and scholarship programs.

34 Education in Support of Social Transformation: Learning from the First Five Years of The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program 35 The Foundation provides both online and in- interact personally with Scholars. Participating Considerations: Helping Scholars Prepare D TRANSITION person opportunities for Scholars to network with Scholars play a key role by sharing messages and Themselves to Succeed in Work and Life their peers, as well as with mentors, role models, knowledge with other Scholars at their institutions. The following considerations are being taken into Transitions to Further Education, Employment employers and Foundation representatives. The The Foundation also organizes annual partner account as the Program develops for future years: and Entrepreneurship:64 primary in-person opportunity occurs at annual meetings to facilitate relationship-building among Scholars convenings known as Baobab Summits partners, and to help them share lessons and best • The Foundation and its partners should After a period of intensive academic education, (one each for secondary and tertiary levels). practices regarding Program implementation. expand their repository of internship and leadership training and career preparation, Partner institutions select a subset of Scholars to career opportunities for Scholars, focusing Scholars are ideally ready to transition to the attend these events. To date, some 150 secondary on online systems scalable for thousands of next step in their life journey. For most secondary school and 220 tertiary Scholars have attended. Scholars, and supplemented by the Program’s Scholars, this means higher education, work or Advice to Scholars from African alumni of During these events, Scholar representatives meet network of industry and employer partners. entrepreneurship. For tertiary Scholars this international universities: their counterparts from other institutions and transition may entail graduate study, employment, • Scholars, particularly girls and young women, countries, and participate in leadership training Network, network, network … or launching a social venture or business. should be supported to develop strong peer and skill-building sessions. The Summits are also and professional networks. an opportunity for Foundation representatives to Given all of these options and the range of • Comprehensive career guidance services at fnancial assistance and support services available the secondary level should be strengthened. to ease transitions, what do we know about the Learning from the Prepare Stage • Networking with faculty, other Scholars, The Foundation could play a role in improving paths that recent Scholar alumni have taken? An examination of efforts to help Scholars alumni and outside professionals is key awareness of the multiple pathways available A number of questions come to mind: prepare themselves for the future, including the for preparing Scholars for internships and to youth in secondary school, including ability to give back, reveals that: employment, and for fostering opportunities vocational education and training (TVET), • Do most Scholars succeed in completing for volunteering, career advancement and entrepreneurship and employment. the full course of their studies? • Secondary school Scholars need additional lifelong learning. All Scholars require more • Are they satisfed with the Scholars Program? • Scholars interested in seeking jobs and assistance such as college counselling, intentional opportunities to interact with role • Do Scholars studying abroad choose to internships in Africa should start early information on university scholarships and models and mentors in their prospective felds, return to Africa? and seek support from university career support to complete applications for higher and to practise career networking. • What felds do Scholars choose for further services, faculty and personal networks as education. education and careers? this process can take many months and is • Partner and Scholar conferences are important • What sorts of opportunities and support highly competitive. The Foundation could • ACN has placed hundreds of Scholars and opportunities for networking, sharing best can Scholar entrepreneurs access? play a facilitation role by partnering with ALA graduates into jobs and internships since practices and building community among • Do Scholars show a commitment to give employer and professional networks to 2012. Though it has helped develop a culture of Scholars, partners and the Foundation. So far, back to their communities and society? create internships and career opportunities internships in Africa, its high-touch approach however, only a small minority of all Scholars • In the short time since graduation, for graduating Scholars. will need modifcations to be scalable. are able to attend these events. have Scholars made an impact in • The Program could beneft from strategic their communities? • North American and African partner • The digital Baobab platform could be a model communications efforts that build a wider • How do these fndings compare with evidence universities have expanded resources devoted for other networking and lifelong learning recognition of The MasterCard Foundation on alumni of other scholarship programs? to helping students fnd internships and jobs platforms if successful. Active participation Scholars Program – among both youth on the continent as a result of the Program. by Scholars in the design and its degree of and relevant institutions and employers Data on the frst two cohorts of secondary and However, Scholars require additional country- customization are noteworthy. globally. This type of investment could pay tertiary Scholars graduating from 2014 and 2015 specifc information about the job market, off for Scholars as they move through their offer some early clues. These data, though limited, including growth sectors and information careers, and could help the Foundation are instructive as the Foundation examines the about small, medium and large enterprises and and its partners recruit talented youth to Program’s progress against its goals. It is too soon organizations. Many Scholars could beneft the Program. to predict long-term trends of return to Africa and from additional help in applying for positions career choice for Scholars, much less the ultimate through expanded, personalized, Africa- impact Scholars will have on their communities focused career counselling and mentoring. and society.65

36 Education in Support of Social Transformation: Learning from the First Five Years of The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program 37 Accessing and Financing Further Education: The nearly universal ambition among secondary exam qualify for university.66 An even smaller said that the Scholars Program has enabled them Secondary School Scholars school Scholars to attend university highlights the share of all students typically reach university in to reach their educational goals, and 96 percent Nearly all (99 percent) of secondary Scholars need for creative forms of education fnancing Uganda, where the gross enrollment rate in tertiary reported that the Program provided them with surveyed share aspirations of attending for African students, including low-cost loans, education is just four percent.67 The majority of the skills they needed to feel competent in their university – a path not available to the vast employer co-fnancing or sponsorships. Finally, Ugandan Scholar graduates in 2014 are choosing jobs. Additional survey data should be gathered majority of secondary students in Africa. While the Foundation and other actors, including to pursue higher education in Science, Technology, to examine paths of future cohorts.69 secondary school Scholars may apply for another governments and NGO partners could Engineering and Math (STEM) felds (Figure 13), MasterCard Foundation scholarship to continue provide technical and vocational education or with 34 percent pursuing math and statistics, and FIGURE 14 their education, the majority will most likely entrepreneurship support to Scholars who are not 25 percent pursuing computer science. Share of Secondary Scholar Alumni have to fnd alternative sources of support to accepted to or are unable to fnance university. Employed or Pursuing Higher Education attend university (only a small number of tertiary The concentration of secondary Scholar Uganda Survey Respondents Graduating in 201470 scholarships are available). Many secondary school A survey by researchers at Mathematica completed graduates in STEM felds, and the nearly equal Scholars receive high scores on national college by 95 Scholars who graduated from secondary proportions of male and female Scholars pursuing Neither in School nor Working entrance exams, and receive public scholarships. school in Uganda in 2014 indicates that a large each of these felds, are striking. Further, more College counselling services offered by secondary majority – 85 percent – are currently pursuing female alumni (39 percent) are pursuing math Employed 7 5% partners assist Scholars with their college search, higher education, a remarkable number given that and statistics than are male alumni (30 percent). 7 5% but need to be expanded, as described above nationally, only 35 percent of Ugandan students Our analysis of these data suggests that the under Transitions. taking the upper secondary school completion Foundation has provided a pathway to higher education for secondary Scholars, and that it has helped many female Scholars to overcome traditional barriers to accessing education in FIGURE 13 Secondary School Alumni 69 STEM felds. 85% Postsecondary School Specialization Enrolled in further education While 85 percent of secondary Scholars surveyed Math and statistics 34% are pursuing higher education, alumni report a Computing 25% range of barriers in attending university, including Source: The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program Alumni Survey. Physics, chemistry, biology 20% gaining entrance, securing admission to their Health 18% preferred program, obtaining scholarships Engineering and/or engineering trades 16% and other fnancial support, and managing Tertiary Scholar Alumni Pathways: their academic workload. Additionally, alumni Transitions to Further Education and Work Business and law 13% indicate that they would have beneftted from Tertiary Scholars wishing to continue their studies Sociology, anthropology, psychology 13% additional training in transferable skills and at the graduate level may also apply for fnancial Agriculture, forestry or fsheries 11% help during the transition to university studies, support, including an additional MasterCard Education 9% including information on entrance requirements Foundation scholarship or other fellowship.

Specialization Other 8% and scholarship opportunities. Scholar alumni wishing to work in specialized Veterinary 4% felds can apply for MasterCard Foundation Transitions to Work: Secondary School Scholars scholarships for master’s programs at institutions Social service 3% Percentage of students who Among the 15 percent of alumni in Uganda who are such as University of Cape Town, University of Architecture or building 3% enrolled in an academic course not pursuing higher education, half are employed, Pretoria or the African Institute for Mathematical History, civics, geography 3% and the remainder are either not working, seeking Sciences. Additionally, through a new partnership General programs 3% further education, or are focused on health or with University of Edinburgh, select qualifying family care. All of those alumni who sought Scholars across the Program network will be

Source: The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program Alumni Survey. employment upon completion of the Program offered the opportunity to complete an online *Percentages will not add up to 100 as students were able to select more than one area of study. found jobs within six months.68 Satisfaction with master’s degree, which will be equivalent to on- the Program is very high. Nearly all (98 percent) campus degree programs.

38 Education in Support of Social Transformation: Learning from the First Five Years of The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program 39 A survey of tertiary alumni from 2014 and 2015 Those seeking employment found positions shown that many are transnational, moving back provides an early indication of the pathways relatively quickly after graduation: 81 percent “[My greatest challenges after graduation and forth between Africa and other regions, of Scholars upon completion of the Program. found work within two months or less. Just over were] lack of support to make my non - proft suggesting that a binary concept of returning These cohort sizes, however, are small. Further half of these graduates are satisfed with their grow and expand its impact to more youth or staying abroad no longer applies in today’s data on alumni will be analyzed as part of the current jobs. Those who want to change their in Kenya. ” globalized world.73 Foundation’s learning agenda as larger cohorts positions are seeking jobs with better career – Tertiary alumnus and African Leadership graduate in the coming years. The sample growth opportunities, higher pay, or a chance to ACN reports that a number of factors infuence Academy graduate analyzed included 17 women and 19 men in their use or develop their skills. The sample of tertiary students’ choices regarding when or if to return late 20s. A handful had attended universities in Scholar graduates who were interviewed worked home. Graduates face family pressures to become their home countries and the remainder studied in primarily in the private sector, followed by NGOs self-suffcient, maximize income and support the Canada, Ghana, the U.S. and South Africa. Eleven and government (Figure 16). The relatively small Despite impressive rates of employment and extended family – issues that can accelerate or earned undergraduate degrees and 24 earned share of Scholars working in government could entrance into graduate programs of study, like delay return. Additionally, lifestyles, personal master’s degrees. According to the survey, 56 be due to a variety of factors, including low secondary alumni, tertiary Scholar graduates relationships, the political situation in home percent of tertiary alumni are continuing their remuneration in the public sector, perceptions also experience challenges with their transitions. countries and issues such as access to medical education, and 56 percent are working, indicating of corruption and speed of career advancement. Some report having faced diffculty navigating care may also impact the decision. that a small share is doing both. The two tertiary The low share of Scholars pursuing a career the local labour market and fnding employment alumni who are not currently working or in school in public service may suggest a role for the in their feld after graduation. Others face Data on Scholar choices indicate that the Program’s are actively seeking employment or opportunities Foundation and its partners in cooperating challenges finding funds to support their fexible approach to return seems to be working. to further their education (Figure 15). with governments to create established career entrepreneurial ventures, and colleagues with Of the alumni interviewed, nearly half had returned pathways or designated career programs for whom they can collaborate. home upon graduating. Of those remaining abroad, FIGURE 15 Scholars in the public sector (akin to the White 56 percent plan to return within fve years.74 House Fellows and Presidential Management Tertiary Scholars Studying Abroad: Number of Tertiary Alumni Working 72 or Continuing Their Education Fellows programs in the U.S.). Return to Africa (Graduation Year: 2014 and 2015)71 Supporting Scholars to contribute to social and “My education and the Scholars Program FIGURE 16 economic transformation on the continent is a have reinforced my commitment [to] Sectors of Employment: key goal of the Program. For the small share of supporting other people to help themselves.” Tertiary Scholars Alumni Scholars studying internationally, the Foundation – Tertiary MasterCard Foundation Scholar 14 and its partners have grappled with how central Currently “return” to Africa should be, and what place, if working 6 17% any, a requirement for return should have for this 14 Government group of Scholars in the Program. While early on Currently the Foundation emphasized a strong preference in school 46% for these Scholars to “go back and give back,” Private over time this position has become more 2 Sector nuanced. The Foundation focuses on motivating 37% and inspiring Scholars to return through widening NGO Not currently working and guiding their career paths, maintaining nor in school and strengthening their connections to Africa,

Source: The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program Alumni Survey and nurturing their desire and commitment to give back. This evolution recognizes that

Source: The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program Alumni Survey most Scholars want to return to the continent to live and work. It also refects the substantial contributions to the continent of Africans living abroad, both professionally and in a personal capacity. Research on African alumni has further Joan Kwamboka from Kenya, a MasterCard Foundation Scholar at Arizona State University. Photo Credit: Don Erhardt Photography

40 Education in Support of Social Transformation: Learning from the First Five Years of The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program 41 Of those Scholars who remain abroad after of Scholars studying in felds such as agriculture 2001–2013, Ford’s IFP supported over 4,300 including tutoring, mentoring or assisting in graduating from university, three-quarters are and STEM. Finally, the African Alumni Project Fellows from 22 developing countries to complete schools (49 percent); and in health, by supporting pursuing further education; the remainder is found that having a foundation scholarship was their graduate education. With an investment a community vaccination campaign (21 percent). employed. All in all, these data indicate that in associated with higher levels of return to Africa. of $430 million it was the largest program ever Nearly all (99 percent) of secondary alumni general, for most tertiary Scholar alumni, return Specifcally, 79 percent of those with a foundation implemented by the Ford Foundation.79 The credit The MasterCard Foundation Scholars home is a question of “when, not if.”75 However, scholarship returned compared to 27 percent who International Fellows Program (IFP) focused on Program with increasing their commitment trends on return should be re-examined in the fnanced their higher education abroad with their enabling talented individuals from disadvantaged to giving back to their communities and with future as more Scholars graduate. own resources.78 communities to contribute to social justice and preparing them to become effective leaders. positive change. Their alumni tracking study According to the survey, “seventy-six percent reported that 96 percent of Fellows completed spontaneously mentioned the central role that their post-graduate degree, and 84 percent of giving back and improving the lives of others and “I have always believed in sharing, mentoring Kpetermeni Siakor, Social Entrepreneur – them have returned to live in their home country, their communities has played in their current and and development. My decision to come back iLab, Liberia with 52 percent living in their home community.80 future plans.”82 to [my home country] was the need I felt to Kpetermeni Siakor is a MasterCard All of these Fellows were supported to pursue infuence the policy space.” Foundation Scholar alumnus of Ashesi graduate degrees (master’s or PhDs), perhaps Tertiary Scholars – Tertiary Scholar alumna, Michigan University in Ghana. He is Liberian, although one factor contributing to the high rates of return. Surveys of Scholar alumni at the tertiary level State University lived in Ghana for much of his primary and indicate a very strong commitment to giving back secondary school years, and returned to The report also found that individual-level support to their communities and to Africa more broadly. Liberia when the wars ended. After high for future leaders can be a successful strategy Nearly all tertiary alumni said that the Program Other Studies of Pathways of International school, while working and attending for bringing about societal-level change, an helped prepare them to bring positive change to Alumni from Developing Countries mathematics classes at the University of important goal of the Scholars Program. The their communities. Since their graduation from the The African Alumni Project, a study of hundreds Liberia, Keptermeni helped establish the report concluded that the IFP “helped develop Scholars Program, about three-quarters of tertiary of African alumni from leading international technology hub, iLab Liberia. In a country a global core of social justice leaders: 79 percent alumni have spent time volunteering outside universities who graduated between the 1960s where less than 10 percent of the population of the alumni respondents hold senior leadership their households, in activities such as education and 2014, can be instructive on the question of has access to the Internet, Kpetermeni roles, such as founders of grassroots organizations (77 percent); community service (35 percent); return. This study, supported by the Foundation, wanted to create a central space with and strategic leaders in national governments and advocacy (23 percent); health (15 percent); and found that “higher rates of return are associated reliable Internet and electricity, as well as international organizations. New programs and other areas.83 Alumni also said they deepened with recipients of graduate degrees; about one- trained local IT staff. He wanted a space organizations created by IFP alumni have impacted their commitment to service during their time as third for undergraduates versus ffty percent where collaboration and support could an estimated 9.5 million adults and children in Scholars, and plan to continue that commitment for MA and PhD degrees.”76 This fnding could occur and youth could access IT courses IFP countries, and almost one million additional throughout their careers and volunteer efforts. have signifcant implications for the Scholars for free. In 2012, Keptermeni transitioned individuals worldwide.” These fndings appear to Program. Specifcally, it may make the case for to Ashesi, where he earned his degree echo those cited by African alumni of international In 2014, the Scholars Council, an elected body of supporting additional Scholars at the graduate in computer science as a MasterCard universities who participated in the African Alumni tertiary Scholars, created the annual International level for studies abroad where they can access Foundation Scholar. Project: 86 percent reported working in leadership Scholar Day of Service, whereby university specialized training in areas unavailable on the positions in their felds,81 indicating that support Scholars across the Program give back to the His skills came to great use when the Ebola continent, while still prioritizing academic training for education for individuals with demonstrated community near the university they are attending. outbreak hit Liberia. Using Ushahidi – a for undergraduates in Africa. leadership potential and a commitment to service Scholars at the American University of Beirut’s mobile crowdsourcing tool – Kpetermeni and can lead to societal change. Faculty of Health Sciences set up a blood drive his colleagues found a way to get real time The African Alumni Project also found that an for the local hospital, while Scholars at EARTH information to health centres, doctors, nurses alumnus’ feld of study is related to return — those Giving Back: Scholar Contributions University committed to planting 300 trees in and feld workers during the health crisis. with degrees in agriculture, engineering and other Silencio, a local community near the campus. sciences showed higher return rates compared Secondary Scholars to graduates with degrees in law, business, and Nearly all (99 percent) of the secondary alumni the arts and humanities.77 If this fnding holds true Additionally, a tracking study completed by the surveyed have spent time volunteering since for MasterCard Foundation Scholars, return rates Ford Foundation on alumni from its International graduation. Most have volunteered in community could be relatively high given the concentrations Fellowships Program (IFP) is illuminating. From service (71 percent); others in education,

42 Education in Support of Social Transformation: Learning from the First Five Years of The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program 43 Entrepreneurship has recently piloted a mechanism to support MasterCard Foundation Scholars were also According to the African Development Bank, Scholars’ social enterprises. The Foundation’s among the winners of the Resolution Social Entrepreneur: Blooming Soyinka the informal sector in Africa accounts for collaboration with The Resolution Project Venture Challenge offered at Clinton Global Africa Blooms Companies approximately 80 percent of GDP in Sub-Saharan awarded funding to undergraduate Scholars Initiative University from 2014 to 2016. One such Blooming Soyinka is a MasterCard Foundation Africa and 50 percent of the labour force.84 through its Social Venture Challenge, held in venture was Solar Water Solutions launched by Scholar alumna of the University of British Regular, salaried jobs are diffcult to come by, June 2016. Winners received seed capital as MasterCard Foundation Scholar Ngoni Mugwisi, Columbia in Canada, where she earned her even for educated youth. Many jobs are created well as hands-on mentoring and global advisory of Arizona State University. M.B.A. Blooming grew up in Ifo, a small village by entrepreneurs who launch small businesses or services through a dedicated team of volunteers in southwestern Nigeria, with her mother and social ventures. Given these realities, the Scholars and entrepreneurship guides. Other Scholar alumni at the tertiary level fve siblings. She lost her father when she Program from its outset recognized that many are making contributions in tangible ways was 14. After that time, the family struggled Scholars would need to create their own jobs. as entrepreneurs. Some are launching social fnancially. Eating chicken and cooking on a Camfed, for example, provides Scholars with ventures. Moses Surumen and Fanice Nyatigo, kerosene stove were luxuries they enjoyed training in fnancial literacy, entrepreneurship Ngoni Mugwisi, Tertiary Scholar, MasterCard Foundation Scholars at University just once a year on her mother ’s birthday. and business skills. Many secondary education Arizona State University of California, Berkeley, are developing M-Soma, partners take advantage of their annual leadership Solar Water Solutions a learning platform for Kenyan high school Blooming ’s passion to paint a new, positive camps to invite young local entrepreneurs to graduates that teaches basic computer skills picture of her continent propelled her to Ngoni is a MasterCard Foundation Scholar speak to Scholars, thereby exposing them to through a four-week summer boot camp. Lincoln start Africa Blooms Companies, an online at Arizona State University, pursuing a the idea that entrepreneurship can be a viable Mtemeri and Clive Matsika, Scholars at Arizona retail merchandiser of high - quality products BSE in Electrical Engineering with a minor pathway after graduation. State University, created Waste to Energy, and goods proudly made in Africa, creating in Engineering Management. He is also a which will install biogas digesters to produce jobs for people and helping them showcase Resolution Fellow with a passion for social Any tertiary Scholars who have an interest in combustible gases for household and farming their creativity. “ With every purchase, innovation and is founder of the non - proft entrepreneurship can access a growing set of use (e.g., heating, lighting and crop irrigation) together we are building communities venture Solar Water Solutions. support services and courses at their universities. in Sanyati Community, Zimbabwe. and transforming lives. We celebrate the At Ashesi University, ethical entrepreneurship is a Ngoni grew up in a rural subsistence farming strength and intellectual prowess of the key focus. A variety of courses on entrepreneurship community in Zimbabwe. Attending school African continent,” she says. Blooming are offered as part of the liberal arts program, in America, he was exposed to raised bed hopes to open a chain of Africa Blooms “I undoubtedly believe that the investment including a course entitled “Foundations for technologies for increasing crop yields. retail stores across all 36 states of Nigeria. made in my education is meant to improve Design and Entrepreneurship.” Scholars at Duke Spotting his frst bunkbed, he wondered “Africa Blooms Co. is not about fashion.... not just my life but the lives of the people organized a student conference entitled, “Africa if a tiered bed system could work and It ’s about giving people the tools and the in my family, my community and everyone Untold: Stories of Young Entrepreneurs,” bringing personally designed a tiered gardening resources to work their way out of poverty,” I come into contact with.” together African students studying in the U.S. system with three platforms, enabling water says Blooming. “ I am not alone. I am part who are involved in entrepreneurial projects in conservation, multiple crop production on – Tertiary Scholar alumnus, of a generation of Africans who are taking Africa. Participants discussed themes such as how a single plot, and an easy-- to understand Ashesi University on a leadership role and making change.” to design and initiate projects, fnancing social agriculture initiative for farming families. Blooming earned an undergraduate degree ventures and giving back as a student. Ngoni plans to enable marginalized in economics and accounting from Illinois Zimbabweans living in areas that lack Additionally, through a Foundation partnership with Wesleyan University in the United States and North American university partners also offer suffcient water and fertile soil to sustainably the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI-U), over is the founder and CEO of Africa Blooms. a wide range of entrepreneurship training and grow vegetables, simultaneously improving 50 Scholars since 2014 have made commitments to She is a 2015 laureate of the Tony Elumelu incubation hubs for start-ups. At McGill University, food availability and fnancial security. In action within CGI-U’s fve focus areas – education, Entrepreneurship Program, selected among the McGill Dobson Entrepreneurship Centre offers only six to nine months, families will make public health, the environment and climate change, 20,000 applicants from across Africa. courses in entrepreneurship and an incubation enough extra money to endow a new bed peace and human rights, and poverty alleviation. centre for student ventures. Stanford University, and initial seed package for the next family, Participating Scholars attend a leadership in the heart of Silicon Valley, has a wide range of making this a sustainably scalable project. workshop and receive year-long mentoring from undergraduate courses on entrepreneurship and a CGI-U commitment-maker alumnus. opportunities for Scholars to join student groups such as the Business Association of Stanford Entrepreneurial Students. The Foundation

44 Education in Support of Social Transformation: Learning from the First Five Years of The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program 45 Learning from the Transition Stage • Data from the frst cohort of secondary Considerations: Transitions to Further Scholars show that 85 percent of alumni Education, Employment and Entrepreneurship Our examination of how Scholars transition from surveyed were able to transition to higher The Foundation, working with its partners, is the Program revealed the following85: education after the Program. This is taking into account the following as it advances signifcantly higher than the seven percent programming to support Scholars’ transitions: • A majority of tertiary Scholars have, or transition rate from secondary school to intend to, return to Africa. Nearly 50 university in Sub-Saharan Africa. • As research shows that there are higher rates percent of tertiary Scholars from the frst of return for African alumni studying at the • Most secondary alumni are pursuing further two cohorts studying abroad returned home graduate level, the Foundation should place studies in STEM felds, and at equal rates after graduation, and the majority of those greater emphasis on supporting Scholars by men and women, suggesting that the remaining abroad expect to return to Africa for graduate study abroad at institutions Foundation is helping young women within fve years. offering specialized programs not widely overcome barriers to study in the sciences, available on the continent. At the same time, • The Foundation’s fexible defnition and mathematics and computing felds. the Program should continue to support timeline for return to Africa, its focus on • Some secondary school alumni would like secondary and undergraduate Scholars at Scholar choice, and support to Scholars additional help to develop transferable skills, institutions in Africa, where access is still applying for internships and jobs on the and some secondary and tertiary level alumni limited by cost and other constraints. Retsepile Sello from Lesotho, a MasterCard Foundation Scholar at the continent seem to be facilitating return and University of British Columbia. Photo Credit: Jake Naughton request greater support for the transition ‘give-back’ among early cohorts of tertiary • As larger numbers of Scholars graduate from school to work, including additional Scholars studying abroad. with each passing year, the need to support • The low share of Scholars pursuing a career in career advisory services.86 Scholars’ career transitions increases, as the public service may suggest a role for the • Research on career paths of African alumni • Both secondary and tertiary Scholars are does the need for greater investment and Foundation, its partners and governments of international universities over the past fve highly motivated to give back to their innovations to assist them. to create established career pathways or decades shows that rates of return to the communities, and a large majority of alumni fellowship programs for Scholars in the continent are higher for alumni who studied • To improve success during the job search, Scholars volunteer. public sector. for advanced degrees compared to those tertiary alumni recommend that Scholars who studied at the undergraduate level. • Some Scholar alumni are already making a obtain work experience while still in school • It is still early days for the Scholars Program. difference in their countries of origin through as a way to overcome strong competition While initial data from the frst two very • Fifty-six percent of tertiary alumni are social ventures, but accessing fnancing for for employment. small cohorts of tertiary students studying employed and 56 percent are continuing their these ventures remains a signifcant challenge. abroad show that just over half of alumni are education (this includes a small percentage • Due to the shortage of formal sector jobs in returning to the continent upon graduation, that are both working and studying). Eighty- Africa, many Scholars may choose the path continued research and tracking will be one percent found employment within two of entrepreneurship. The Foundation should needed to monitor trends over time. months or less. Just over half of these alumni consider skill-building in entrepreneurship are satisfed with their current jobs. Most and enterprise development, connecting • In order to effectively judge the long-term tertiary graduates found employment in the Scholars with funding sources, and impact of the Scholars Program, continued private sector, followed by NGOs and the facilitating access to advisory services and investment in a longitudinal study of Scholars public sector. innovation hubs. could greatly inform this and other scholarship programs for disadvantaged youth.

46 Education in Support of Social Transformation: Learning from the First Five Years of The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program 47 IV. LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Five years on, it is too soon to draw defnitive Educate – The Foundation will develop additional Partners – In addition to recruiting additional conclusions regarding the Scholars Program’s transformative leadership content, resources and African partners, the Program will support ultimate impact. During the frst years, focus has curricula. Additional leadership courses will be the expansion of partnerships between North been on building the foundation for the Program: developed on the digital Baobab platform, with American, European and African institutions creating appropriate criteria and processes for an explicit gender focus. Scholars will be provided through faculty and Scholar exchanges, joint recruiting and selecting Scholars and partners; with more opportunities to model transformative programming, additional online courses and strengthening the partner network; and establishing leadership (through group mentoring via the conferences. Going forward, undergraduate a suite of support services for Scholars who are Baobab platform and teacher mentors at Scholars will increasingly study in Africa. making extraordinary transitions at academic, secondary schools), and additional possibilities The Program’s international partnerships will social, cultural, and professional levels. for practising transformative leadership through also provide technical support to strengthen service learning projects, leadership positions in institutional capacity at African universities. Program development efforts will now take on school activities and other efforts. The Foundation new challenges. The Foundation will expand will scale up and multiply its existing tertiary Future Learning – The Foundation will continue its programming on transformative leadership Scholar convening efforts, eventually reaching to invest in research and evaluation in order and prepare Scholars for successful transitions. all tertiary Scholars. to learn from and improve the Program, and Together with partners and Scholars, the track its impact. Increasingly, these efforts will Foundation is also working to build a stronger Prepare – To do more to help Scholars position help engage Scholars and partners as active Scholars Community, including both alumni and themselves for success after the Program, the participants in all stages of the learning cycle. current students. The Foundation, its partners and Foundation will continue to work with partners Scholars have already started to work on this effort. and Scholars to expand and enhance the Additionally, a number of new developments are Scholars Community, including the Baobab being considered. Some of the new efforts and platform. The Program will move toward regional potential pathways are outlined below. conferences and other events that will reach all Scholars, and will work to expand internships for New Developments in the Scholars Program Scholars in Africa.

Recruit – To strengthen the partner network in Transition – To further support the large numbers Africa and offer more opportunities for Scholars of Scholars who will be graduating in the coming to study at quality institutions on the continent, years, the Foundation will focus on assisting the Foundation will develop more partnerships secondary school Scholars in their pursuit of with leading African universities, supporting more university and/or vocational studies, and will Scholars to study at the undergraduate level in provide short-term post-graduation bridge Africa. The Foundation and its partners will work programming, focused on soft skills development, to recruit more Scholars from groups that are still digital literacy and entrepreneurship training. For not represented in large numbers in the Program, university Scholars, the Foundation will create including students with disabilities and students career exposure events in countries with high Zukiswa Qwabe, a MasterCard Foundation Scholar from South Africa at the from underrepresented countries (including those concentrations of Scholars and will develop an University of Cape Town. Photo Credit: Wayne Price in francophone West Africa). industry mentorship program. The Foundation will also explore opportunities to support education fnance.

48 Education in Support of Social Transformation: Learning from the First Five Years of The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program 49 END NOTES

1. For its research on a variety of aspects of the Scholars 23. Mathematica, “Early Learning from The MasterCard 46. Marsh, et al., 2016, p. 35. 66. Mathematica, “Elevating Alumni Voices,” 2016 p. 2; Education Sector Profle,” Government of Uganda,” 2011, Program, Mathematica has used a variety of data sources and Foundation Scholars at BRAC Uganda,” September 2015; 47. Amin, S., 2008, as cited in Rodway, p. 34. methods, including surveys of Scholars and partners, data “Early Learning from The MasterCard Foundation Scholars retrieved from http://www.ugandainvest.go.ug/uia/images/ 48. Mathematica, “Early Findings from the Scholars Program,” on Scholars provided by partners and the Foundation, and at FAWE Rwanda,” February 2016; and “Early Learning from Download_Center/SECTOR_PROFILE/Education_Sector_ PowerPoint Presentation to The MasterCard Foundation, personal interviews with Scholars and partners. This report The MasterCard Foundation Scholars at FAWE Ethiopia,” profle.pdf. May 2015. draws extensively from Mathematica’s research fndings. (data on fle). 67. Data on gross tertiary enrolment in Uganda from the World 49. Rodway, 2016, pp. 30–31. 2. Some of these lessons and recommendations are drawn from 24. Ibid. The likelihood of living in poverty is based on the Bank, retrieved from http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/ Mathematica, “Transformative Leadership,” September 2015. Progress out of Poverty Index for Rwanda, Ethiopia and 50. Mathematica, “Early Learning from The MasterCard SE.TER.ENRR. 3. Some of these fndings are drawn from Mathematica, Uganda using an income threshold of $2.50 (U.S.) per Foundation Scholars at BRAC Uganda,” September 2015, 68. Mathematica, “Elevating Alumni Voices,” 2016, p. 3. household per day, and of $1.25 per household per day for and “Early Learning from The MasterCard Foundation “Internships in Africa,” September 2014. 69. Ibid. the likelihood of living in extreme poverty. Scholars at FAWE Rwanda,” February 2016. 4. This section draws heavily on fndings from Hughes, S., 70. Mathematica, “Elevating Alumni Voices,” 2016, p.2. Lauver, C., Krakoff, I., “Elevating Alumni Voices: Insights from 25. Ibid. 51. Interviews with Foundation staff, May 2016. 71. Ibid., p.10. 2014 and 2015 Graduates of The MasterCard Foundation 26. Mathematica, “Early Learning from The MasterCard 52. Mathematica, “Elevating Alumni Voices,” 2016 pp. 11–12. Scholars Program.” Research brief prepared for The Foundation Scholars at BRAC Uganda,” September 2015; 53. Some of these lessons and recommendations are drawn from 72. Under a separate program, the Foundation is supporting MasterCard Foundation. Washington, DC: Mathematica “Early Learning from The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Mathematica, “Transformative Leadership,” September 2015. scholarships for graduate study in public administration in Policy Research and The MasterCard Foundation, May 2016. at FAWE Rwanda,” February 2016; and “Early Learning from Canada for Africans wishing to serve in government on the 54. Mathematica, “Early Learning from The MasterCard continent, in honour of Nelson Mandela and in cooperation 5. This fnding is based on a survey of the 36 alumni from 2014 The MasterCard Foundation Scholars at FAWE Ethiopia,” (data on fle). Foundation Scholars at BRAC Uganda,” September 2015; with Global Affairs Canada. and 2015 who graduated from the Program; as these frst “Early Learning from The MasterCard Foundation Scholars cohort sizes are small, these fndings are not generalizable to 27. The MasterCard Foundation Management Information System. at FAWE Rwanda,” February 2016; and “Early Learning from 73. Marsh, et al., 2016. all Scholars. Further research will be needed to track return 28. Ibid. The MasterCard Foundation Scholars at FAWE Ethiopia,” 74. Mathematica, “Elevating Alumni Voices,” 2016, p.9. rates to Africa over time. (data on fle) and “Elevating Alulmni Voices” 2016 pp. 1-2. 29. Mathematica, “Early Learning from The MasterCard 75. Ibid. 6. Marsh, R., Baxter, A., Clift, R., Di Genova, L., Jamison, A., Foundation Scholars at BRAC Uganda,” September 2015; 55. Mathematica, “Internships in Africa,” Research Brief, 76. Marsh, et al., 2016, p. 11. Madden, M. (2016) Career Choices, Return Paths and Social “Early Learning from The MasterCard Foundation Scholars September 2014. Contributions: The African Alumni Project. Abridged Report. at FAWE Rwanda,” February 2016; and “Early Learning from 77. Ibid. The MasterCard Foundation, Toronto, Canada. 56. Ibid. The MasterCard Foundation Scholars at FAWE Ethiopia,” 78. Ibid., pp. 40–41. 7. This result is based on a small sample due to the small size (data on fle)Additionally, a majority of Scholars in Ethiopia 57. Mathematica, “Pursuing Careers in Africa: Early Lessons of the frst cohorts, and therefore is preliminary; further are in the top third of their class. from Africa Careers Network – A Partner Perspective,” 79. Information on the Ford Foundation’s IFP International analysis should be conducted on future cohorts to see February 2016. Fellowships Program retrieved from http://fordifp.net/ 30. Mathematica, “Early Learning from The MasterCard AboutIFP/History.aspx. whether these trends continue. Foundation Scholars at BRAC Uganda,” September 2015, p. 2. 58. Ibid., p. 7. 8. Marsh, R. et al., 2016. 80. “Social Justice and Sustainable Change: The Impacts of 31. Mathematica, “Early Learning from The MasterCard 59. Mathematica, “Early Learning – The MasterCard Foundation Higher Education,” Ford Foundation International Fellowships 9. These fndings are based on a survey by Mathematica of the Foundation Scholars at FAWE Rwanda,” February 2016, p. 3. Scholars Program,” Research Brief, September 2014. Program Alumni Tracking Study Report 1, April 2016. 36 tertiary Scholars who graduated in 2014 and 2015; see 32. Mathematica, “Early Learning from The MasterCard 60. Interview with staff, June 2016. Hughes, S., Lauver, C., Krakoff, I., “Elevating Alumni Voices: 81. Marsh, et al., 2016, p. 28. Foundation Scholars at BRAC Uganda,” September 2015; 61. Mathematica, “Elevating Alumni Voices” 2016, p. 15. Insights from 2014 and 2015 Graduates of The MasterCard “Early Learning from The MasterCard Foundation Scholars 82. Mathematica, “Elevating Alumni Voices”, 2016, p.7. Foundation Scholars Program.”, May 2016. at FAWE Rwanda,” February 2016. 62. Rodway, 2016, p. 27. 83. Mathematica, “Elevating Alumni Voices,” 2016, p. 14. 10. World Bank, Global Economic Prospects Report, 2015, p. 4. 33. The MasterCard Foundation Management Information System. 63. Marsh, et al., 2016, p. 83. 84. “Recognizing Africa’s Informal Sector,” African Development 11. Mathematica, “Pursuing Careers in Africa: Early Lessons 34. Some of these fndings are drawn from Mathematica, “Early 64. This section on secondary and tertiary alumni outcomes Bank, March 2013. Retrieved at http://www.afdb.org/en/ from Africa Careers Network, A Partner Perspective,” Learning from The MasterCard Foundation Scholars at draws extensively on Mathematica, “Elevating Alumni blogs/afdb-championing-inclusive-growth-across-africa/ February 2016. BRAC Uganda,” September 2015; “Early Learning from Voices,” 2016. post/recognizing-africas-informal-sector-11645/. 12. Haroon Borat, “Inequality in Africa: Implications for the The MasterCard Foundation Scholars at FAWE Rwanda,” 65. Evidence on Scholar pathways post-graduation is based on 85. This section draws extensively on fndings from Sustainable Development Goals,” September 22, 2015, February 2016; and “Early Learning from The MasterCard interviews and surveys with the 130 Scholar alumni from both Mathematica, “Elevating Alumni Voices,” 2016. retrieved from www.brookings.edu. For data on youth Foundation Scholars at FAWE Ethiopia,” (data on fle). the secondary and tertiary levels who graduated in 2014 and 86. These fndings are based on a survey of all secondary unemployment see ILO, Global Employment Trends for 35. These are Category A and B Schools located in the districts 2015 and participated in a survey between six and 18 months Scholars studying with BRAC in Uganda and of tertiary Youth, retrieved from http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the- where Camfed operates. after graduation. All secondary school Scholars participating alumni from the 2014 and 2015 graduating cohorts. Further ilo/multimedia/maps-and-charts/WCMS_411962/lang--en/ in the survey studied with BRAC in Uganda. A handful of research will be needed to better understand the support for index.htm. 36. Mathematica, “Early Findings from the Scholars Program,” these tertiary Scholars went to university in their home PowerPoint Presentation, May 1, 2015. transitions required by all secondary and tertiary Scholars. 13. African Development Bank African Economic Outlook, 2012. countries, and the remainder studied abroad at university 37. The MasterCard Foundation Management Information System. partners in Canada, Ghana, the United States and South 14. UNESCO, Global Monitoring Report, 2015, p.375. Africa; see Mathematica, “Elevating Alumni Voices,” 2016. 38. Scholar attrition rates are based on data reported from 15. The World Bank, Gross enrolment rate, tertiary education partners on all undergraduate and graduate Scholars in 2013, retrieved at http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/ through May 2016. SE.TER.ENRR. 39. The Transformative Leadership Working Group is composed of 16. Jenny Perlman Robinson and Rebecca Winthrop, Millions representatives of the Foundation and its partner institutions. Learning: Scaling Up Education in Developing Countries, Brookings Center for Universal Education, 2016, p. 8. 40. Milena Novy-Marx, “Women’s Transformative Leadership in Africa,” The MasterCard Foundation, 2014 and Feyi Rodway, 17. Ibid., and Laura Lippman, et al., “Key ‘Soft Skills’ that Foster “Perspectives on Leadership: Voices of Young African Youth Workforce Success: Toward a Consensus Across Women,” Paper produced for The MasterCard Foundation, Fields,” ChildTrends, 2015. April 2016. 18. Mathematica, “Preliminary Findings from 2016 Partner 41. Feyi Rodway, “Perspectives on Leadership: Voices of Young This report was written by Milena Novy- Marx in partnership with The MasterCard Foundation Interviews,” July 8, 2016. African Women,” Paper produced for The MasterCard and draws on the learning briefs and research results produced by the Scholars Program 19. Ibid. Foundation, April 2016. 20. Interviews with Foundation staff, May 2016. 42. Mathematica, “Transformative Leadership,” September 2015. learning partner, Mathematica Policy Research. Special thanks to Program partners and 21. Ipsos, “The MasterCard Foundation Reputation Audit, 2014”. 43. Mathematica, “Elevating Alumni Voices: Insights from 2014 Scholars for their insights and contributions to this report. and 2015 Graduates of The MasterCard Foundation Scholars 22. These fndings are based on a study of merit-based Program,” 2016, p. 12. scholarships for primary school leavers in Kenya conducted by scholars from MIT’s Poverty Action Lab. Michael Kremer, 44. Mathematica, “Early Learning from The MasterCard For more information on The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program, visit: et al., “Incentives to Learn,” The Review of Economics and Foundation Scholars at BRAC Uganda,” September 2015. www mastercardfdn org/scholars Statistics, 2009. 45. Rodway, 2016 p. 10.

50 The MasterCard Foundation