MDiv Student Joshua Bonney (’28) selected for 2026 Enlight Fellowship through Innovate@BU
Joshua Bonney (STH’28) has been selected among 250 applicants for the 2026 Enlight Fellowship, a competitive 10-week summer program offered by Innovate@BU. Fellows split time between a social impact internship and developing a social venture, supported by a $10,000 stipend from the Enlight Foundation.
Joshua is a Master of Divinity student at the School of Theology with years of experience in social impact spanning education, community development, and workforce training across Ghana and the US. In 2023, he piloted a youth skills training initiative that equipped approximately 30 unemployed young people with problem-solving and entrepreneurship skills. His work in learning and development has strengthened his ability to design scalable training programs that respond to real social and economic needs.
“When I first saw the statistics reported by the Institute of Statistical, Social, and Economic Research (ISSER) in 2017 that only 10 percent of graduates in Ghana find jobs within the first year after completing school, I was deeply concerned,” says Joshua. “What stood out to me was not only the scale of the problem, but also the gap between academic training and the practical skills employers often seek. This understanding motivated me to start an initiative that was focused on equipping recent graduates with problem-solving and entrepreneurship skills. I also connected them with internship opportunities after the training so they could apply those skills in a real-world environment. As I look ahead, I plan to scale this initiative so that more young people can gain the skills and opportunities needed to transition successfully into the workforce. I am excited that the Enlight Fellowship will provide me with the opportunity to learn from practitioners who will help me deepen my understanding of social entrepreneurship and develop ideas that can help expand this work and its impact.”
The 2026 Enlight Fellows will be announced at Innovators’ Night on April 15 at the George Sherman Union.
Read the Innovate@BU Announcement