In the face of urgent global challenges – poverty, climate change, HIV/AIDS, hunger, homelessness – young people are exercising their leadership potential like never before. YouthActionNet® strengthens and celebrates the role of young people in leading positive change in their communities.
YouthActionNet® supports aspiring and accomplished young leaders by providing skill-building, advocacy, and networking opportunities. It does so at three levels:
Global Institute – Twenty outstanding young social entrepreneurs are selected annually for the YouthActionNet® Global Fellowship through a competitive application process.
Global Fellows are distinguished by their exemplary track records, pattern-changing ideas, global perspectives, and commitment to achieving long-term systemic change. Through the yearlong program, participants refine their leadership skills, collaborate across national boundaries, and advocate for their causes at the global level.
National Institutes – Established within individual countries, National YouthActionNet® Institutes select youth leaders to participate in an intensive, national-level training program. National Institutes are deeply rooted in the context where they operate. Their goal: to prepare young leaders to influence national policies and priorities, while strengthening the youth leadership sector within individual countries. To date, YouthActionNet® has launched institutes in Brazil, Mexico, and Spain, with 5 additional institutes planned for 2009.
Virtual Institute – Capitalizing on the power and reach of today’s technology revolution, YouthActionNet.org provides young leaders globally with a state-of-the-art virtual platform through which to strengthen their knowledge, build skills, network, and advocate for their causes.
Through this comprehensive strategy, YouthActionNet® seeks to contribute to the development of a new generation of socially conscious citizens leading change in their communities.
YouthActionNet® gratefully acknowledges the support of the MacArthur Foundation, Nokia, Pearson Foundation, Porter Novelli, Starbucks Foundation, Stichting Levi Lassen, Sylvan Laureate Foundation, and the U.S. Agency for International Development.
