2024 Young Leaders Fellowship – Applications are open! : MCW Global

Application ends on or before Sunday, November 12, 2023, 11:59 PM (NYC EST time).

MCW Global is a non-profit organization with a vision for communities around the world to achieve greater levels of education, improved health, and increased economic security. Our mission is to address communities’ pressing needs by empowering current leaders and readying leaders of tomorrow. Founded in 1999, MCW Global is based in New York with partner organizations in Africa (Rwanda, Tanzania and Zambia). We offer a Young Leaders Program and an Africa Program, which focuses on Oral Health Care and Community Development). Our core values include integrity, compassion, accountability, responsibility, and excellence.

What is it

The Young Leaders Fellowship Program is a one-of-a-kind leadership opportunity open to all young people between 18 – 26 from all over the world who wish to address community projects in the areas of education, health, and economic security. The year-long program prepares young people to become leaders of change in their communities through leadership development, global citizenship, self-awareness, and vision planning.

The program team, mentors, and mentees all work together to impact communities through innovative ideas and concrete projects, hence truly accomplishing the purpose of Local Change Through Global Exchange®.

 What We Offer

MCW Global’s Young Leaders Fellowship begins with the Community Needs Assessment – A one-month community needs mapping that prepares young people, between the ages of 18-26, from around the world to understand their local communities better. After the community needs assessment, Young Leaders participate in a one-month intensive Virtual Program that helps them become leaders of positive change in their communities. After Virtual Learning, participants spend 10-months developing their action plans with support from alumni mentors.

Virtual | Community Needs Assessment

1 Month

• The Fellowship begins with an intensive community mapping and needs assessment.
• Young Leaders will be provided with the tools and knowledge to assess their community.
• This phase is implemented prior to starting the in-person training, as it will give the young leaders a better understanding of the community’s needs.

In-Person | Vision Planning & Project Development

10 Days

• Participants come to the Fellowship with an idea of a community issue they want to address. Vision planning is the process of transforming passion into a concrete, tangible plan for change.
• Through the in-person training program, which includes diverse speakers, workshops, events, and facilitated group work, participants can put their local issues into a larger global context while understanding why they are uniquely positioned to change their community.
• Participants will also determine which tools and skills can be applied to an actionable plan.

Virtual | Project Implementation & Alumni Mentorship

10 Months

• To further develop and execute their actionable plans, Young Leaders are paired with alumni mentors, who will guide them in the in-person program toward creating an actionable plan. These mentors have gone through the Fellowship program and successfully graduated from it.
• 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 to support team building and cultural competency among the diverse group of Young Leaders.

Eligibility Requirements

Am I Eligible?

Young Leaders Must:

• Demonstrate commitment to their community;
• Identify an issue in their community in the areas of education, health, or economic security;
• Be between the ages of 18-26 at the start of the program (June 1, 2024);
• Be fluent in written and spoken English;
• Commit to doing the Community Needs Assessment in June, attending the 10-day in-person program in July, and spending the following year aiming to execute their community project;
• Have access to email and the internet to allow for consistent communication with the MCW Global Team and Young Leaders Fellowship alumni-mentor for the duration of the year-long program;
• Adhere to Young Leaders Fellowship graduation guidelines (to be provided upon acceptance to the program);
• Be eligible for appropriate visa and travel documentation;
• Submit a completed application on or before Sunday, November 12, 2023, 11:59 PM (NYC EST time).

Timeline

Stay on Track

1. October 13, 2023: Young Leaders Fellowship Application Opens;
2. November 12, 2023: Young Leaders Fellowship Application Closes;
3. December 4, 2023: First-round Decisions Sent Out; Shortlist Candidates Notified; Second-Round Application Opens;
4. December 15, 2023: Second Round Application Closes;
5. January 10 – 19, 2024: Interviews with Alumni;
6. January 26, 2024: Acceptances Sent Out;
7. February 2, 2024: Confirmation of Acceptances;
8. February 9, 2024: Confirmation of Visa Interview Date and Deposit;
9. June 1 – June 30, 2024: Community Needs Assessment;
10. July 9 – July 18, 2024: In-Person Training Program – Young Leaders Fellowship in New York, New York, and Burlington, Vermont;
11. July 2024 – July 2025: The Entire Young Leaders Fellowship Duration.

Application Information

Ace Your Application!

The application must be filled out in English.

Letters of recommendation and resumes also need to be written in English. Any part of the application that is not written in English will not be read and be considered incomplete.

The application includes:

General Information

Essay Questions

• Identify an issue in your community that concerns you. How would you address this issue?
• Describe one time you have faced a challenge and used a leadership skill to come up with a solution.

Resume

Your resume should not be more than 1 page. We suggest that it be prepared in Times New Roman, 12 font, with 1-inch margins.

Two Letters of recommendation

Your letters should come from people who know your work ethic and commitment to your community. Friends and family members are discouraged from writing letters of recommendation.

Recommenders should state their name, position, contact info, and relationship to the applicant at the top of the letter.

Liability Waiver

At the end of the application, please review the terms and conditions.

Application Portal

Click below to create an account and submit the application by Sunday, November 12, 2023.

APPLY NOW

Logistics Information & Costs

Here’s How it Works

Please read the following logistics information and cost carefully.

 The 2024 Young Leaders Fellowship will take place in New York, New York, and Burlington, Vermont, from July 9 – 18, 2024. Accommodations will be provided by New York University in New York and Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont.

DEPOSIT

MCW requires all accepted participants to pay a $100 deposit fee by February 9, 2024. The deposit will be refunded to the participant in full on July 18, 2024, when they have successfully completed the in-person training program of the Fellowship.

The deposit is required to cover all costs MCW Global may incur should a participant cancel after March 1, 2024. 

Payment can be made via Square or PayPal. If no payment is made by February 9, 2024, you will be considered to be no longer attending the Fellowship.

If Square or PayPal are not operational in your country/territory, please contact MCW Global.

COSTS COVERED BY MCW

• International Economy Flights for international participants
• Domestic Economy flights for United States participants
• Housing from the evening of July 8 – July 18, 2024
• Three meals per day from July 9 – July 18, 2024
• Round Trip Travel from New York, New York to Burlington, Vermont
• Public Transportation to/from JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark Airports

COST NOT COVERED BY MCW

• Passport Fees
• Visa Fees
• In-Country Costs (travel to the airport, extra baggage fees, etc.)

FLIGHTS

In an effort to make the program accessible to all individuals, MCW will cover economy flight costs related to the program’s attendance for every accepted participant. Flights will only be booked to arrive one day in advance of the program and to depart one day after the program. If you wish to travel in the US for longer than this time, you must book the flight on your own, and MCW will reimburse you for the cost of the flight according to what MCW would have booked. No exceptions will be made.

If a participant delays applying for their visa after being accepted into the program and, as a result, will receive the visa less than a month before the program begins, travel will no longer be provided.

If MCW is booking any travel on behalf of a participant, all travel will be according to the most cost-efficient route and booked in economy (or equivalent) class.

ADDITIONAL HOUSING ON JULY 8, 2023, AND JULY 18, 2024

MCW will provide a room the night before and after the program for those whose flight schedules require them to arrive the day before or depart after the program. This is considered to be a part of the program, and it is the responsibility of the participant to notify MCW at least a month before the start of the program if they require housing.  Requests for a room later than this period of time will not be considered. Please note that a room will not be provided for those arriving or departing more than 24 hours before the start or the end of the program. These participants are expected to find their own accommodations. MCW (including staff, volunteers, board members, and friends of MCW) are not responsible for providing accommodations for participants prior to or beyond the program.

If you request the room and then choose not to stay there, please note that the NYU cancellation fee of $50 will be deducted from your deposit.

Good luck with your application! 

Click here to know more and APPLY