The Young Leaders Access (YLA) is organized every year with the aim to bring together youth from all over the world, who share the similar goal of creating positive change in their communities. It is a one year program comprised of three components:
- The YLA Retreat
- Project Implementation
- Alumni Mentorship and Support
The YLA comes up with the Retreat in late July, held in New York, NY and Burlington, Vermont. It consists of three modules: Modern Leadership, Global Citizenship, and Local Change. During the final phase of the retreat, Young Leaders will create a unique action plan to address an issue in his/her community.
Location:
United StatesBenefits
Young Leaders can
- implement their plans while being guided remotely through online workshops
- work under a Mentor assigned from the Young Leaders alumni community
Once Young Leaders have successfully completed the YLA they are eligible to apply for the Alumni Ventures Fund which awards grants of up to $5,000 USD with a year of professional mentor-ship.
Eligibilities
Young Leaders Must:
- Be between the ages of 18-26 years old
- Be fluent in written and spoken English
- Have access to email or another internet platform that allows consistent communication with the MCW team and mentor for the duration of the year-long program
- Demonstrate commitment to their community
- Identify an issue faced by their community they would like to address
- Commit to attending the weeklong retreat and spending the following year implementing change in their community and staying in contact with their mentor
- Be eligible for appropriate visa and travel documentation
- Submit a completed application on or before January 2, 2018
Application Process
- The application process will consist of three rounds: the general application, a brief needs assessment, and an alumni interview.
- The general application opens on October 31, 2017 and is open to any eligible persons.
- Shortlist candidates will be asked to submit a brief needs assessment which will outline their community issue and potential solutions in greater detail.
- Candidates who complete the second round will be contacted for an interview with alumni of the program.
- Selected participants will be notified of their acceptance on April 2, 2018.
The YLA Application is hosted on Google Forms. This means that you must have a gmail account to fill out the application. If you do not already have a gmail account, you can sign up for one for free. The application must consist of the following:
- General Information
- Essay Questions
- Resume/ CV- You must upload your resume/ cv directly into the application in PDF format
- Two Letters of Recommendation- You must upload your letters of recommendation directly into the application in PDF format
- Liability Waiver
Application Deadline: January 2, 2018
Application ClosedOfficial link
