Empowerment Squared - International Youth Internship Program 2023 to 2029

This project is part of Global Affairs Canada’s International Youth Internship Program (IYIP) funded by the Government of Canada's Youth Employment Strategy. The IYIP aims to provide youth aged 18 to 30 living in Canada particularly those facing employment barriers with the opportunity to gain professional experience in international development. This African Youth International Internship seeks to provide international experience to Black youth non-binary and other gender youth with a priority focus on Black women. Empowerment Squared will offer 100 placements of three months each focusing on gender-empowering educational research and inclusive growth as well as climate change mitigation adaptation and environmental research. Through the transformative professional skills development and experience gained while participating in international development internships in the Sub-Saharan African the project aims to enhance employment rights of the targeted youth.

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) provided international experience to Black Canadian women men women non-binary and other gender youth with a priority focus on Black women; (2) Black Canadian women men and other gendered youth completed this internship feeling positively transformed personally; (3) Black Canadian women men and other gendered youth completed this internship with improved skills that are needed for employment or further education; and (4) Black Canadian women men and other gendered youth represented at least 50% of the interns during each cohort and the remaining 50% had significant representation of youth from equity-deserving groups.