THE US Embassy has announced the 2024 cohort from Guyana for the US Department of State’s Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) Fellowship Programme.

According to a press release from the embassy, YLAI, launched in 2015, empowers emerging entrepreneurs from the Western Hemisphere to enable the full economic potential of the region’s citizens.

This year’s YLAI fellowship programme was launched in October 2023 and will continue through April 2024, bringing together 280 young leaders from 37 countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada.

“This year we are pleased to announce that three young leaders from Guyana: Brian Smith, Nakaida Belle-Lindie and Shellon Lynch have been accepted out of over 50 local applicants and over 2,000 applicants globally,” the US Embassy said.

The 2024 YLAI Fellowship Programme, sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the US Department of State, commenced in December with a virtual Fellowship Leadership Curriculum and orientation.

In March, fellows will split into cohorts and travel to 19 cities across the United States for four-week professional placements with US businesses.

They will collaborate with their peers to address shared business challenges, as well as engage in virtual and in-person events and cross-cultural activities.

The programme concludes with a closing forum in Washington, D.C. in April. Fellows return to their ventures with new skills, resources, ongoing support from US counterparts, and a broader network, strengthening business ties between the US and Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada.

The https://ylai.state.gov/ website includes information about the YLAI Fellows Programme and the YLAI Network.