Fully Funded Global Young Leaders Access Program 2019 in USA is MCW Global’s year-long flagship program is for participants (18 to 26), who are prepared to become leaders of positive change in their communities by giving them the tools and skills needed to transform passion into action.

The program is based on 3 phases:

1. Summer Retreat: The Program begins with an intensive summer retreat that facilitates leadership development, a deep understanding of global citizenship, and how to implement a project from beginning to end. The retreat is held in late July/early August in Burlington, Vermont and New York City, New York. In addition to working alongside MCW Global team members, alumni mentors, and volunteers, participants will also hear from a range of experts from academia, civil society, development, and the public and private sectors about their own community-action projects.  (10 days)
2. Vision Planning: Project  Development: Participants come to the Program with an idea of a community issue they want to address through the process of vision planning, which aims to transform passion into a tangible plan for change. During this process, participants will be able to put their local issues into a larger global context while exploring why they are in a unique position to make change happen. Participants will also determine which tools they need to apply to the plan, in order to make it actionable. After the retreat, Young Leaders are expected to further develop and/or implement their plan in collaboration with their alumni mentors.  (12 months)
3. Alumni Mentorship and Ongoing Support: To further develop and execute their vision plans, Young Leaders are paired with alumni mentors, who guide them at the retreat toward creating an actionable plan. During the year, alumni mentors support participants by facilitating quarterly “hangouts” and ongoing remote communication. Alumni mentors undergo customized training prior to the start of the program in order to support team building and cultural competency. (12 months)

Eligibility

• Demonstrate commitment to their community
• Identify an issue in their community to address
• Be between the ages of 18-26
• Be fluent in written and spoken English
• Commit to attending the 10-day retreat and spending the following year aiming to execute their community project
• Be eligible for appropriate visa and travel documentation
• Have access to email and Internet to allow for consistent communication with the MCW Global Team and Young Leaders Program alumni-mentor for the duration of the year-long program
• Adhere to Young Leaders Access Program graduation guidelines (to be provided upon acceptance to the program)
• Submit a completed application on or before January 2, 2019