Designed as a youth empowerment program, the Global Ambassador Program (GAP) brings students together from the Amadou Diallo Foundation (New York, NY), the Bakeli School of Technology (Dakar, Senegal), and SUNY Old Westbury (NY) to learn from each other and address some of the major issues that challenge them, both as young professionals and as citizens of the world dedicated to social justice.

Lead Global Ambassadors based in NY are paired with Lead Global Ambassadors in Dakar. Together, they facilitate engaging English sessions for cohorts of non-native speakers intended to develop leadership, communication, and critical-thinking skills. GAP fosters cultural exchange, meaningful discussions on real-world topics and technology's role in solving societal issues, all within a supportive virtual community that builds confidence and global connections.

The program runs for approximately 14 weeks and features once weekly virtual meetings that are 90 minutes long. Each cohort selects an issue it is interested in exploring. At the end of the program, cohorts make group presentations that offer solutions or, at least, a way to address the issue in a positive and constructive way.

• How technology can be used to address West African, U.S., or global issues
• Educational access and completion issues
• How technology can be used to combat economic injustice and other problems
• Technology to address access to health care
• Social media and mental health
• Commerce and entrepreneurial opportunities using technology
• Social justice issues
• Technology and the advancement/communication of culture and the arts

As of February 2026, the GAP is running its third program. Begun in Fall 2024, as a simpler mentoring program, its success has prompted development and expansion. In the Fall 2025 GAP segment, there were two cohorts and four Lead Global Mentors who served 20 students. The program has more than doubled in Winter/Spring 2026. Currently, there are six cohorts, led by nine Lead Global Ambassadors, serving approximately 50 students.

NOTE: The ADF is open to all, including all racial groups. Scholarships are awarded through a selection process involving the ADF and its partners.