For over 20 years, the Washington Ireland Program (WIP) has brought college students with the ambition and potential to shape Northern Ire- land and Ireland to Washington, DC. The most coveted student development program on the island, WIP is widely ac- knowledged as a transformative personal and professional experi- ence. Consistent with its efforts to overcome past divisions by creating an opportunity for future leaders to ex- press and galvanise their ideals in a truly collaborative ethos, WIP’s distinguished alumni community reflects the program’s com- mitment to diversity. Representative of all backgrounds and traditions on the island, year to year the program’s participants are generously sponsored, and over 40% qualify for full scholarship support. an extraordinary summer of challenges Every summer WIP students are given the opportunity to be immersed in extraordinary professional environments in Washington, DC. Working in Capitol Hill, and in leading think tanks and non-profits, they experience the American political system first hand. They are also hosted by local families, dedicated members of the WIP community who are sensitive to the realities of contem- porary Ireland, and in whose homes the students gain a deep appreciation for US values. Additionally, through the summer, students complete a challenging leadership curriculum that is focused on the development of their own vision; on their attaining a sensi- tive and rigorous understanding of what it will mean to follow the path of leadership; and on listening to the differing views of their peers. Through this crucible experience, having to present their own views and having them robustly discussed by their fellow class members, deep insights are achieved and lasting bonds are created. WIP has become synonymous with the forging of friendships across differing political perspectives, across community boundaries, and with the emergence of a new all island network of leaders. WIP alumni, always prominent in their chosen fields, have delivered on their early promise, and now hold important positions across all political par- ties in Northern Ireland and Ireland. They include, Leo Varadkar (WIP Class of 2010), the youngest Taoiseach in Ireland’s history, and Claire Sugden (WIP Class of 2010), who was appointed at the age of 29 as Northern Ireland’s Minister for Justice and Emma Little-Pengelly (WIP Class of 2002), who became the first WIP Alumna elected to Westminster. expanding opportunities. next stop: new york WIP was founded at a time when the need to address painful social and political division was a matter of daily urgency. This remains a core priority, but those who aspire to lead our island need new skills to face the challenges ahead – to build opportunity as well as peace in an uncertain and unstable world. With the support of The Ireland Funds, WIP is changing to make sure the future leaders of Northern Ireland and Ireland are equipped to take on the challenges of the next 20 years. Starting in 2017 with a week long fo- rum, WIP will begin embedding exceptional students in New York. Our plan is to en- able Ireland’s brightest talents to learn from leading figures in business and the arts, building the creative skills and competitive spirit to drive the next stage of our island’s develop- ment. By 2018, with the support of The Ireland Funds, WIP will be engaging students to learn from the best in the arts, business and public policy in both Washington and New York. NYC YC YC D.C. D.C D D YC YC YC YC YC YC connect 2017 • 27 to find out more about how you can meet the students and alumni, and get involved with the program, visit www.wiprogram.org/irelandfunds overcoming past divisions “washington ireland program showed me that by bringing people together, we can move on from the animosities of the past and drive on as the leaders of tomorrow.” — Claire Sugden MLA–WIP graduate, appointed Minister for Justice in Northern Ireland