Youth Leadership Programs foster mutual understanding, respect, and civic engagement among young Americans and their international peers. Exchanges are three to four weeks in duration and involve youth ages 15-18, and adults who work with youth.

Am I eligible?
Each program has its own application and eligibility criteria. The recruitment for most of the 2011/2012 youth leadership programs is targeted at small and specific groups—a particular school district, city, or community. This means that you may not qualify to apply for all of the programs. Please look at the eligibility criteria closely before applying.

How do I apply?
For application information, contact the administrating organization for your home country. Please include your name, country of origin and reason for interest in the program.

What can I expect?
All Youth Leadership Programs include a competitive participant selection process and comprehensive orientations prior to the exchanges.

During the exchanges, students and educators participate in workshops, community service activities, team building exercises, meetings with community leaders, leadership development, and focus on a specific theme, such as conflict resolution, social entrepreneurship, or environmental stewardship.

Upon returning home, alumni implement projects that involve the skills they explored during their exchange.

How can I apply to administer a Youth Leadership Program?
Visit the Open RFGP page for more information.

If you have additional questions about Youth Leadership Programs, please contact YLP@state.gov. Please include your name, country of origin and reason for interest in the program.