Youth Leadership Academy

young people trained

years of the YLA

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workshops presented in 2025

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What is the YLA?

The Plan International Youth Leadership Academy is a year-long social impact fellowship by youth, for youth, hosted by Plan USA’s Youth Advisory Board. Throughout the course of the year, you will ideate, design and implement your own local advocacy project related to gender equity. The YLA gives you the tools you need to create the change you want. We are investing in the next generation of young changemakers and advocates driving the change you want to see.

Why it matters

The Youth Leadership Academy brings together diverse young leaders from across the U.S. to learn, connect and create change. Young people are some of the world’s best innovators, topic experts, coalition-builders, mobilizers and communicators. We believe that we can harness this power within young people across the country to make tangible change. Alongside like-minded peers, fellows will continue to learn and grow as leaders.

An overview of the YLA

The YLA starts in June with virtual orientation sessions. In July, you’ll travel to Washington, D.C. for the residential intensive, where you’ll meet other fellows, Plan staff and Youth Advisory Board members. You will be coached on developing your Leadership Project. This includes: identifying a local need or social issue, crafting your mission, analyzing stakeholders, pitching your project, securing funding and much more.

Following the residential intensive, you will implement your Leadership Project with the help of a Youth Advisory Board mentor. At the end of the program, you’ll present your project at our YLA symposium.

Interested in going?

The YLA is open to students in grades 8-11, living in the U.S. If you are interested in gender equality, global issues or youth-led advocacy, apply here!

Leadership projects

A leadership project is a youth-led locally focused project that tackles an issue that you care about.

Following the week-long intensive in Washington, 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.