Maria Omare, Spring 2017 ADA Fellow, Selected as Winner of Alumni Engagement Award

 

Maria Omare, alumna of the ADA International Fellowship Program’s Spring 2017 Cohort, has been selected for the prestigious Alumni Impact Award (AIA) by the Professional Fellows Division of the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). The Alumni Impact Award recognizes exceptional contributions made by Professional Fellows Program (PFP) alumni to their communities and enables them to meet U.S. ambassadors in their countries and the Assistant Secretary of State to discuss how the U.S. government can support young international leaders in their field.

Omare lives in Nairobi, Kenya, and is the Executive Director of The Action Foundation (TAF), which works to improve the quality of education, health, social, and economic outcomes for children and women with disabilities. Under Maria’s leadership, The Action Foundation has grown in scope and impact. In October 2017, four months after her fellowship, she spearheaded the creation of a program called Somesha. This program reaches hundreds of teachers and pushes for the promotion of immersion and virtual peer learning.

Maria Omare spent her Fellowship in Boston at the University of Massachusetts Boston (UMB) School for Global Inclusion and Social Development (SGISD) under the supervision of Dr. Valerie Karr. She credits her experience at UMB as the inspiration for building a support network for caregivers of young children with disabilities in Nairobi.

Omare, along with the other AIA awardees, will be present at the Spring 2019 Professional Fellows Congress. AIA winners will engage with approximately 280 current PFP participants in all Congress activities to include:

  • Participating in an AIA panel
  • Moderating a workshop
  • Interacting with PFP participants informally during meals and breaks
  • Telling PFP success stories for use in ECA social media and other possible media engagements

She looks forward to meeting the latest cohort of PFP-IDE Fellows, staff, and networking among participants in other programs.

Please join us in wishing a warm congratulations to Maria Omare.

Click here to learn more about Maria and other Alumni Impact Award recipients from around the world.