The Young Leaders Fellowship Program is a one-of-a-kind leadership opportunity open to all young people between 18 - 26 from all over the world who wish to address community projects in the areas of education, health, and economic security. The year-long Fellowship prepares young people to become leaders of change in their communities through leadership development, global citizenship, self-awareness, and vision planning. The program is based on three phases:
The Fellowship begins with an intensive community mapping and needs assessment. Young Leaders will be provided with the tools and knowledge to assess their community. This phase is implemented prior to starting the in-person training, as it will give the young leaders a better understanding of the community's needs. (1 month)
Participants come to the Fellowship with an idea of a community issue they want to address. Vision planning is the process of transforming passion into a concrete, tangible plan for change. Through the in-person training program, which includes diverse speakers, workshops, events, and facilitated group work, participants can put their local issues into a larger global context while understanding why they are uniquely positioned to change their community. Participants will also determine which tools and skills can be applied to an actionable plan. (10 days)
To further develop and execute their actionable plans, Young Leaders are paired with alumni mentors, who will guide them in the in-person program toward creating an actionable plan. These mentors have gone through the Fellowship program and successfully graduated from it. During the year, alumni mentors support participants by facilitating quarterly “hangouts” and ongoing remote communication. Alumni mentors undergo customized training prior to the start of the program to support team building and cultural competency among the diverse group of Young Leaders. (10 months)