Youth Leadership Academy

Are you a change-maker in your community?

Plan International’s Youth Leadership Academy gives you the tools you need to create the change you want.

Plan believes that young people are today’s leaders. So, we work together to build a better world, and we won’t stop until we are all equal. Our Youth Leadership Academy is a yearlong program focused on providing global leadership and advocacy tools to young activists through training and mentorship.

The 2025-2026 Youth Leadership Academy is now accepting applications! Our in-person retreat will be held on July 21-25, 2025 in Washington, D.C.


Plan USA Youth Leadership Academy in Washington, DC posing for a group photo!

What is the Plan YLA?

The Plan Youth Leadership Academy is a yearlong program designed to help young activists take their leadership to the next level.

Learn more
What will I learn from the Youth Leadership Academy with Plan USA?

What will I learn?

We’ve trained over 500 young leaders in the last 15+ years. Here’s what some of them had to say about how the YLA experience shaped them.

Hear from alums
A group photo of young people advocates | Plan International USA

Meet the mentors

As a part of your community project, you’ll be mentored by one of the members of Plan’s Youth Advisory Board. Take a moment to get to know them!

Read their bios
Photo of a Youth Leadership Academy project titled 'Equal Writes'

Your leadership project

As part of Plan’s YLA program, you’ll design and implement your own project to address the social justice issue of your choice. Here are a few examples of what past participants have done.

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A young person posing in from of the UN | Plan International USA Youth Leadership Academy

After the YLA

After the yearlong YLA experience, you’ll join a network of 500+ alums and stay connected to opportunities from Plan. Wondering what recent alums are doing now?

Find out

Participating in Plan’s Youth Leadership Academy was the single greatest catalyst I had for my political and community involvement. Before this, I was aware of social issues and strongly believed in advocating for change, but wasn’t doing so myself. Through the work I did on my leadership development project, I began working with multiple climate organizations and getting involved with politics.

Youth Leader

What alums are saying

about the YLA

89%
felt they have the ability to motivate others thanks to what they learned.
90%
learned practical and useful skills that they still use today.
93%
strongly believe that young people have a role to play in changing social norms.

About us

We work together with children, especially girls, and our supporters and partners to strive for a just world where we are all equal. To do that, we tackle the root causes of challenges and inequalities that children face. We’re there from birth until adulthood, supporting children to prepare for and respond to crises and adversity, while particularly focusing on the experiences of girls.

Youth Leadership Academy FAQs on Plan USA

Youth Leadership Academy FAQs

Do I need any previous experience in activism or community service to join the YLA?

No! As long as you work well with others, have an interest in making change in your community and are passionate about social justice, you are welcome to apply. You will have many opportunities throughout the year-long program to develop leadership skills and receive mentorship from young people with robust activism and advocacy experience.

We will evaluate your application on the quality of fit, as well as your ability to make the necessary time commitment to program activities, especially our residential academy in Washinton, D.C. in July and virtual check-ins regarding your leadership project.

What will I learn in the YLA?
What is the program like?
Who leads the sessions and workshops throughout the year?
What will I do at the residential academy in Washington?
What is the leadership project?
Who participates in the YLA?
Is there a fee to participate in the YLA?
Is financial aid available?
What is the application process like?