The Young Leaders Fellowship is a year-long leadership program run by MCW Global. Fellows pick a problem in education, health or economic security in their community and turn it into a project plan.
Three phases: a one-month virtual needs assessment, a 10-day in-person training in New York City and Burlington, Vermont, and ten months of remote project work with an alumni mentor. The 2026 call closed in December 2025; the 2027 call is not yet posted.
Benefits & funding
- MCW covers economy flights, housing and three meals a day for the 10-day training.
- Also covered: New York–Burlington travel and airport transport in New York.
- You pay passport and visa fees, in-country costs and any medical care; a US$100 deposit is refunded after the in-person training.
- Apply late for your visa after acceptance so it arrives under a month before the start, and MCW no longer provides travel.
Eligibility
- Aged 18–26 at the program start (1 June 2026 for the 2026 cohort).
- Any nationality; you must be eligible for the US visa and travel documents needed.
- Fluent written and spoken English; the application, CV and letters must all be in English.
- Committed to your community, with an issue in education, health or economic security you want to address.
- Able to do all three phases (June assessment, July in-person training, the following year’s project work) with steady email and internet access.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Age requirement
18–26 yrs
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Application process
- 1Apply online by the deadline (3 December 2025, 11:59 pm New York time, for the 2026 cohort): general information, two essays, a one-page CV and two recommendation letters.
- 2Shortlisted applicants complete a second-round application, then interview with program alumni.
- 3Accepted fellows confirm their place, set a US visa interview date and pay the refundable US$100 deposit.
Program timeline
Applications open (2026 cohort)
Nov 5, 2025 to Dec 3, 2025
Alumni interviews
Feb 3, 2026 to Feb 12, 2026
Acceptances sent
Feb 19, 2026
Community needs assessment begins
Jun 8, 2026
In-person training; fellowship runs to July 2027
Jul 21, 2026 to Jul 30, 2026