Youth Engagement in the US and Uganda - USFSP YMCA Civic Fellows Program Summer Civics Institute - US Embassy Uganda post

Special thanks to the US Embassy in Uganda for facilitating the exchange between students at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg and Makerere University in Kampala!

Here is a post about the exchange on the US Embassy Uganda facebook page: 

Youth Engagement in Uganda and the US - USFSP YMCA Civic Fellows Summer Civics Institute - USF World post

 The University of South Florida - USF World - posted about our joint USF-Makerere University joint seminar discussing Youth Civic Engagement in Uganda and the US:

Youth Engagement Uganda and the US - USFSP YMCA Civic Fellows Summer Civics Institute -- USFSP Center for Civic Engagement post

The University of South Florida St. Petersburg Center for Civic Engagement posted about our joint seminar -- USF-Makerere University - discussing Youth Engagement in Uganda and the US:

Youth Engagement in Uganda and the US - USFSP YMCA Civic Fellows Summer Civics Institute - Guest Speakers Shallon Nyankubito and Amon Byarugaba

As a part of the 2026 programming for the USF YMCA Civic Fellows Program Summer Civics Institute, we organized a session 

Youth Community Engagement and Civic Leadership in Comparative Perspective - UGANDA

The presenters were students from Makerere University: 

Amon BYARUGABA - founder and team leader of the TREASURE CHILDREN'S CHARITY

and

Shallon NYANKUBITO of the Africa Youth Federation

whom I had the pleasure of meeting while a Fulbrighter at the Great Lakes Center for the Study of the United States at Makerere University (Fall 2025). 

Amon spoke about his inspiring work founding the Treasure Children's Charity -- how he identified the community needs to be addressed - and how he and his supporters were able to make a substantial difference in the lives of the children in his village. https://treasurechild.org/

Shallon talked about her work with the Africa Youth Federation and offered our Fellows practical suggestions for organizing and raising awareness on social media platforms to bring about meaningful change in the community.

One of the overarching themes of the discussion was that none of us has to wait for some other person/organization/government/agency to act. When we see something that needs improvement, we can jump in and start working on the issues.

Most of the Civic Fellows reported that this was their first time interacting with students overseas - and many indicated that they plan to reach out and connect with the presenters from Uganda.

One of our Civic Fellows reflected on our joint seminar:

The US-Uganda conversation was an inspiring experience that reinforced the importance of youth engagement as a pathway to civic leadership and community impact. I learned that young people, regardless of where they live, want meaningful opportunities. What struck me most was how much we have in common - shared concerns about education, employment, leadership development, and creating positive change. The discussion gave me new ideas about empowering youth through leadership opportunities, partnerships, and both traditional and digital forms of engagement. I was inspired by the confidence, optimism, and commitment of the speakers from Makerere University, who demonstrated a strong belief in their ability to make a difference despite facing significant challenges.

For more about the presenters from Makerere University, see my previous blog posts: 

https://drjsmafricanacademicadventures.blogspot.com/2026/06/youth-community-engagement-and-civic.html

For more about the 2026 Summer Civics Institute, see this article by 2026 Civic Fellow Sydney EMERY  article about the 2026 USF YMCA Civic Fellows Program

Once again, I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the Fulbright Program (US Department of State) for connecting me with the Great Lakes Center for the Study of the United States at Makerere University - and for the US Embassy in Kampala for facilitating this fruitful exchange between students in the US and Uganda.

Group photo - with the students at University of South Florida in St. Petersburg and the students at the US Embassy American Spaces in Kampala

Student participants at the US Embassy American Spaces in Kampala, Uganda

Amon BYARUGABA presenting about the work of Treasure Children's Charity

Shallon NYANKUBITO presenting about her advocacy with the Africa Youth Federation

Youth Community Engagement and Civic Leadership in Comparative Perspective: UGANDA and the USA; Makerere University students Amon Byarugaba and Shallon Nyankubito will present

I am thrilled that youth civic leaders from Uganda will be presenting during a special session at the 2026 USFSP YMCA Civic Fellows Program Summer Civics Institute -- youth civic engagement in comparative perspective -- the US-Uganda.

The featured speakers include Makerere University students Amon BYARUGABA, founder of the Treasure Children's Charity and Shallon NYANKUBITO of the Africa Youth Federation.

We appreciate the US Embassy American Center for facilitating this dialogue between US and Ugandan students.  For more about US-Ugandan partnerships, see https://ug.usembassy.gov/freedom-250/

For more from this blog about Treasure Children's Charity and presenter Amon Byarugaba see:

https://drjsmafricanacademicadventures.blogspot.com/2025/10/dr-jsm-office-hours-meeting-with.html

https://drjsmafricanacademicadventures.blogspot.com/2025/10/follow-up-meeting-and-donations-for.html

https://drjsmafricanacademicadventures.blogspot.com/2025/11/from-treasure-childrens-charity-website.html

https://drjsmafricanacademicadventures.blogspot.com/2025/11/treasure-childrens-charity-nansana.html

For more about from this blog about the work of Ugandan youth advocate presenter Shallon Nyankubito, see

https://drjsmafricanacademicadventures.blogspot.com/2025/10/dr-jsm-office-hours-meeting-with-youth.html

https://drjsmafricanacademicadventures.blogspot.com/2025/10/follow-up-meeting-with-youth-advocate.html

For more about the USFSP YMCA Civic Fellows Summer Civics Institute programming, see this video about the 2024 Institute

https://www.stpetersburg.usf.edu/news/2024/civics-program-strengthens-understanding-involvement-government.aspx

Florida Political Science Association: Panel - US-Uganda Relations, Great Lakes Center for the Study of the United States, Makerere University

Researchers from the Great Lakes Center for the Study of the United States at Makerere University presented at the Florida Political Science Association Conference in April 2026 held at Saint Leo University.

It was my pleasure to Chair this panel along with the Center Director Prof Edward Silvestre Kaweesi.

The Center's 2025-26 Cohort of Researchers presented papers/updates on their projects. 

Relationality: Uganda and the United States Since 1945. 

Panelists:

Charlotte Karungi Mafumbo, Ph.D. and Jacqueline Nakaiza, Ph.D. “Counterterrorism as Relationality: Uganda-USA Relations since 1990.” Center for the Study of the United States, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda. 

Bernard Luwerekera, Ph.D. “US-Uganda Relations through the Peace Corps Lens: Volunteers’ Lived Experiences, Impact and Legacy.”  Center for the Study of the United States, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.

Itah Patience Mbethki.  “’When I was in America’: Edu-relationality, Culture and Fulbright Scholars in Uganda’s Public Universities.” Center for the Study of the United States, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.

George Okiror, Ph.D. “US – Uganda relations on matters of Constitutionalism and Rule of Law” Center for the Study of the United States, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda. 

For more about Makerere University, see https://mak.ac.ug/

For more about the Florida Political Science Association, see https://www.fpsanet.com/

For more about Saint Leo University, see https://www.saintleo.edu/

University of South Florida USF Excellence in Global Teaching and Learning Award -- April 2026

It was an honor to be awarded the USF Excellence in Global Teaching Award.  Profound gratitude for all of the colleagues with whom I have collaborated over the years most recently with Prof Edward Kaweesi and the Great Lakes Center for the Study of the United States at Makerere University!

with my USF SIGS colleagues Dr Kiki Caruson (Vice President of USF World) and Dr Steve Tauber (Vice Provost for Faculty Administration)

with USF President Moez Limayem

For more about USF World, see https://www.usf.edu/world/

For more about Makerere University, See https://mak.ac.ug/