The United States Department of State, in partnership with Cultural Vistas, is now accepting applications from emerging leaders across the Pacific to attend the Young Pacific Leaders (YPL) Conference in Papua New Guinea in April.

The seventh Young Pacific Leaders Conference in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, will enhance Pacific leaders’, ages 25-35, leadership skills and regional knowledge to advance the economic vibrancy and civic engagement within the region. The YPL Conference will include informational sessions, skills workshops, cultural activities, and site visits to deepen participants’ capacity to address regional issues related to YPL’s four programmatic themes: Education; Environment and Resource Management; Civic Leadership; and Economic and Social Development.

Applicants will be selected from across the independent Pacific states, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Pacific French Territories, and the American-affiliated Pacific (American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Hawaii). Outstanding alumni of previous conferences are also invited to apply to participate in the 2020 YPL Conference as alumni mentors. All applications are due by February 3, 2020 and can be completed online.

Interested applicants are encouraged to contact Cultural Vistas at [email protected] for any questions about the conference, or to request a fillable PDF version of application if needed. Participants will be required to attend the full conference program (April 21 – 24, 2020, not including travel days). All travel, lodging and meals will be provided to selected participants and alumni.

At the conclusion of the YPL Conference, all YPL alumni will be eligible to compete for small grant funding to support projects in their countries and the region. In addition, conference participants and the larger YPL community will participate in YPL LEADS throughout the month of May, a month-long event highlighting the YPL program through service-related activities in their communities.