Leading Change Africa Receives Support from Madison Community Foundation to Grow AI Education & Innovation Pathways

Leading Change Africa is grateful to Madison Community Foundation, and to the donors of the Berbee Derby Technology Education Fund, for a gift that will help grow our AI Education & Innovation Pathways Program — free AI training and innovation opportunities for the young people across our programs.

Since launching in 2025, the program has grown quickly — from roughly 300 applications in its first year to nearly 700 in the year since, including the two cohorts currently underway this month. This support comes at a critical moment, as demand for the program continues to outpace what LCA could offer on its own.

The program starts with free, expert-led workshops in AI literacy and technology-enabled problem-solving, offered in English and French so participants on both sides of the Atlantic can take part. From there, participants can advance to the AI Leadership & Innovation Challenge, where they work in teams with mentorship from technology professionals, build AI-powered solutions, and pitch them at a final event with top teams receiving seed funding to keep building.

Wisconsin is central to how this program runs, and central to who it serves: local young people train and compete alongside participants in Africa, while Wisconsin-based mentors, trainers, volunteers, and community partners provide the guidance that makes the program work on both sides. This gift will help us open a new cohort of the AI Leadership & Innovation Challenge.

"Partnerships like this one with Madison Community Foundation allow us to meet a moment of real demand with real opportunity. We're proud to be building a pathway that gives young people, in Wisconsin and across our programs, the tools to shape their own futures with technology instead of being left behind by it." — Ousmane Kabre, Chief Executive Officer, Leading Change Africa

"AI is changing our world very quickly, and we want to make sure young people have an opportunity to be part of that change," said Awa Maïga, LCA's Director of Operations & Engagement. "For us, access is only the beginning. We want participants to learn, experiment, create, and see how these technologies can help them solve problems and build opportunities for themselves and their communities."

This gift helps us keep that pathway open for the next cohort. We're thankful to Madison Community Foundation and the Berbee Derby Technology Education Fund donors for investing in it.