Gen Z is a group that loves to speak their mind and stand up for others. Despite being young, they want to use their voices for good and take action to help those in need. One way that Gen Zers can make a positive impact in their communities is through the Carnegie Young Leaders Fellowship Program for Civic Preparedness. This year-long program allows the civic leaders of the future to take part in a project that helps solve a local challenge and find solutions to those very problems.
The program is created by the Institute of Citizens & Scholars (C&S). The inaugural class, which came to be in 2025, received a $2.05 million investment from the Carnegie Corporation of New York to tackle issues such as disaster recovery and teen mental health.
With today’s tense and divisive political climate, this non-partisan program works to bring people together by connecting people from all over the country and across the political spectrum. According to their website, the goal of the program is to “build national connections with other young people from every kind of place — red or blue, big city or small town.” This bipartisanship seeks to benefit young people beyond this program as they look to make a difference down the line, whether at home, in school, or through their work in their careers.
Interested? Here’s how the program works, and how you can apply to be a 2026 fellow.
How does the Carnegie Young Leaders Fellowship work?
This program allows you not only to make a difference, but to do it as a team with others and help each other as you work on a collective local issue to combat. 500 people will be divided into 100 teams of five (consisting of one team leader and four team members). From there, each team will be given a $7,500 stipend (broken down into $2,500 for the leader, $1,500 for each member, and up to $1,000 in funding available to cover expenses and make the project happen). Outside of the stipend, teams will receive personalized coaching, hands-on learning, and a community of practice where you share ideas together.
Fellows can use the insights they have from lived experiences to work on issues that their communities care most about. According to the program’s FAQ sheet, civic-based projects include anything from criminal justice reform, food insecurity, mental health, housing, health inequity, violence, a challenge that is faced by a specific racial or ethnic group, and so on.
And as stated earlier, the projects should generally be non-partisan and not directly support or oppose a specific political party, legislative view, or candidate. “The goal is to build civic awareness, leadership, and impact in ways that are inclusive and welcoming to people of all backgrounds and beliefs,” the C&S website says.
The team leads will also have an in-person kick-off where they get to meet other team leads. The program provides a community of peers to learn from, as well as virtual check-ins, workshops, and bi-monthly meetings throughout the course of the fellowship that will serve as a way to interact with other fellows and see what projects they are working on. Additionally, fellows will have an expert coach and community mentor, with whom they can have meetings as they work on their projects.
Who can apply and how?
To apply, you must be living in the U.S. and between the ages of 14 and 24. Applicants from all 50 states and D.C. are welcome to apply. They especially encourage those to apply from states they have not yet had teams, including: CT, DE, HI, ID, IN, IA, KS, KY, ME, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NM, ND, RI, SD, UT, VT, WV, WI, AND WY.
All are open to apply if you have a desire to make an impact, regardless of whether you are a new or experienced changemaker. The deadline to apply is May 4, 2026; however, there is an earlier deadline of March 30, 2026, where if you submit your application before then, you will receive priority review. Through their site, you also have the opportunity to nominate someone you think would be perfect for this program. If you are interested or want to learn more, the group is hosting an information session on March 18, 2026, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. EST that you can RSVP for and hear from current fellows, along with asking questions about the application process and learn more about the program.
So if you have an idea or a cause that you are passionate about and want to be a leader and changemaker in your local community, consider the Carnegie Young Leaders Fellowship Program as a way to get involved, make national connections with other young changemakers, and receive mentorship, support, and funding to get the ball rolling and make it happen.