Youth Leadership Academy FAQs
1. Do I need any previous experience in activism or community service to become a Fellow at the Youth Leadership Academy?
No! As long as you work well with others, have an interest in making change in your community and are passionate about social justice, you are welcome to apply. You will have many opportunities throughout the year-long program to develop leadership skills and receive mentorship from young people with robust activism and advocacy experience.
We will evaluate your application on the quality of fit, as well as your ability to make the necessary time commitment to program activities, including the residential intensive in Washington D.C. in July, monthly workshops and virtual check-ins regarding your leadership project.
What will I learn in the YLA?
The YLA trainings, discussions, activities and speakers are designed to equip you with tools to become an effective changemaker in your community. You will build and strengthen skills in advocacy, such as project development, relationship-building, public speaking and more, within the overarching topic of gender equity.
As you learn about these issues through the YLA, we will guide you through the process of creating your own solution-based leadership project oriented around gender equity to advance change in your local community over the next year.
What is the program like?
The program will kick off in June 2026 with virtual orientation sessions in preparation for the residential intensive from July 20 to 24, where you will meet other Fellows, Plan staff and Youth Advisory Board members. You will attend sessions aimed at preparing you to lead your local advocacy project, including fundraising, networking, building work plans, etc.
Following the residential intensive, you will begin implementing your leadership project with the guidance of a mentor through virtual check-ins. Throughout the year, you may participate in Plan-sponsored events such as International Day of the Girl Takeovers, webinars, campaigns and activations, just to name a few!
At the end of the program, we will hold a symposium where you will have the opportunity to present your project alongside your peers. Read more about the young leaders and their projects from one of our previous YLA programs here.
Who leads the sessions and workshops throughout the year?
Youth-led design is essential to the YLA. Plan’s Youth Advisory Board members plan and lead sessions throughout the year and serve as mentors to YLA Fellows, bringing lived experience and firsthand knowledge of the program. Many of the Youth Advisory Board members have also participated in the YLA, so they have in-depth knowledge of the program. In addition, prominent youth figures and advocates speak at the residential intensive in Washington and online at our monthly webinars.
What will I do at the residential academy in Washington?
During the five-day academy, you will attend workshops and panels to learn about key global gender equity issues from experts and activists. You will also attend sessions to develop your leadership project and prepare for the monthly virtual check-ins over the following year. By the end of the program, you will have developed your leadership project ideas, delivering project pitches on the last day.
You will also get to spend a day sightseeing and participating in team-building activities with other YLA Fellows and Plan staff while in the city!
If you are accepted into the YLA, you will receive a schedule prior to the July residential intensive.
What is the leadership project?
Throughout the yearlong Youth Leadership Academy, you will design, create and implement a project that tackles a gender equity issue (e.g., youth civic and political participation, protection from violence or health equity). Past YLA Fellows have implemented projects related to period poverty, refugee rights and minority students in politics.
Following the week-long intensive in D.C., you will meet throughout the year with an assigned mentor, attend skill-building webinars, access seed funding to launch your project and have opportunities to connect and engage with Plan’s global youth network and partners.
Who can participate in the YLA?
To participate in the YLA, you must be between the ages of 13 and 18 and based in the U.S. We value diversity and inclusion and believe it makes our organization stronger, so we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply and contribute their voice and experience. You will meet your peers in person in Washington, D.C., and continue to work alongside them virtually throughout the academic year.
What is the cost to participate in the YLA?
There is a program fee of $1,000, which funds in-person and virtual program costs for the duration of the year. This includes housing, food, supplies and transportation during the residential intensive but excludes transportation to and from Washington, D.C.
Is financial aid available?
Need-based financial aid is available on a case-by-case basis. Anyone can apply for partial or full financial aid. Applying for financial aid will not impact acceptance decisions upon application review.
What is the application process like?
Interested students can apply here, with no application fee, by the early deadline of February 28 or the regular deadline of May 8. Applicants will be selected for interviews as needed and notified of decisions on a rolling basis through the final deadline with an official welcome email sent to all Fellows by May 8.
After you have submitted your application, you may be contacted by one of Plan’s Youth Advisory Board members or staff for additional application materials, including interviews.
