Three Dot Dash is the Global Teen Leaders program of the We Are Family Foundation (WAFF), a New York–based 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Each year it selects a cohort of teenagers who have already built working solutions to basic human needs and pairs each of them, for a full year, with an expert mentor. The 2026 cycle focused on young people leading environmental and sustainability projects.
Selected teens — known as Global Teen Leaders (GTLs) — join a year-long journey of mentorship and virtual programming that culminates in the in-person Just Peace Summit, alongside peers from 75+ countries across six continents. More than 400 GTL alumni have come through the program.
Benefits & funding
- One year of pairing with an expert mentor to develop your project and leadership.
- Attendance at the annual Just Peace Summit (2026 hosted in London). For selected GTLs, We Are Family Foundation covers all summit costs — air or train travel, visa fees, hotel, meals, and ground travel.
- Virtual workshops, tools, and programming across the year.
- Access to a global network of GTLs, mentors, industry leaders, and policymakers.
- It costs nothing to apply or to participate.
Eligibility
- Aged 13–19 at some point during 2026 (applicants who begin 2026 at 12, or turn 20 during the year, remain eligible).
- Already leading an initiative — for 2026, one with an environmental or sustainability focus — that is beyond the idea stage, actively running, and achieving results.
- You play a key leadership role in the work (founder, director, innovator, manager, activist, strategist, and the like).
- Open to teens worldwide; participants come from 75+ countries on six continents. No nationality restriction.
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.
Education required
High School
Age requirement
13–19 yrs
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Application process
- 1Submit the online Pre-Application on the We Are Family Foundation site.
- 2If the Pre-Application is approved, you receive a link by email to the Main Application, which takes about 20–30 minutes to complete.
- 3Selected applicants are notified and invited to join the year-long program and the Just Peace Summit.
Program timeline
Application deadline (2026 cycle)
Mar 19, 2026
Just Peace Summit, London
2026 (late September – early October)
Applications for the next cycle typically open during the winter preceding the deadline.