Clare Ignatowski
Clare A. Ignatowski, Ph.D. is Senior Advisor for Youth and Systems Thinking at Creative Associates International, a global development firm, active in 30 countries and recognized for its services in education, stabilization and economic growth in conflict-affected regions. Clare has over 25 years of experience in international and domestic U.S. youth development—persistently calling attention to the critical importance of preparing young people for the world of work.
In her 12-year tenure at the United States Agency for International Development, she co-authored the Agency’s first Youth in Development Policy, led the creation of theYouthPower Project investing over $500 million globally in cross-sectoral youth programming, and provided technical assistance to USAID in over 20 countries. She has also served in the U.S. Peace Corps and at the Millennium Challenge Corporation, an innovative and independent U.S. foreign assistance agency.
Clare holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology and a Master’s degree in Educational Anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania. Her many publications based on ethnographic fieldwork in Cameroon include a book, Journey of Song (Indiana University Press), on cultural performance and modernity. Her recent work focuses on identifying cutting edge approaches to supporting young people to meet the challenges of the 21st century.