About the Program
What is it
The Fellowship Program aims to mobilize young people with the skills and resources needed to create and implement vision plans in the areas of education, health, and economic security.
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 10-day intensive in-person training program that helps them become leaders of positive change in their communities. After the in-person training program, participants return to their communities to spend ten months developing their action plans with virtual support from alumni mentors.
Contents of the Program
What We Offer
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 Fellowship prepares young people to become leaders of change in their communities through leadership development, global citizenship, self-awareness, and vision planning.
The program is based on three phases:
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
- Demonstrate a strong motivation to create positive change and an interest in social projects, while expressing your most authentic and original thoughts. Original ideas and genuine reflections will be valued more than AI-generated responses.
- Be between the ages of 18 – 26 at the start of the program (June 1, 2026)
- 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 Wednesday, December 3, 2025, 11:59 PM (NYC EST time)
2026 - 2027 Timeline
Stay on Track
- November 5, 2025: Young Leaders Fellowship Application Opens
- December 3, 2025: Young Leaders Fellowship Application Closes
- December 22, 2025: First-round Decisions Sent Out; Shortlisted Candidates Notified; Second-Round Application Opens
- January 11, 2026: Second Round Application Closes
- February 3 – 12, 2026: Interviews with Alumni
- February 19, 2026: Acceptances Sent Out
- February 26, 2026: Confirmation of Acceptance
- March 5, 2026: Confirmation of U.S. Visa Interview Date and Deposit by Mentees
- June 8 – July 3, 2026: Community Needs Assessment
- July 21 – July 30, 2026: In-Person Training Program – Young Leaders Fellowship
- July 2026 – July 2027: 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 will be considered incomplete.
Please avoid AI-generated responses, as they may negatively affect your chances in the selection process. At the Fellowship, the strength of your ideas matters more than the language you use.
The application includes:
- General Information
- Essay Questions
Identify an issue in your community that concerns you. Tell us a short story or example that shows how this issue appears in real life. Then, share what’s the first step you would like to take to start addressing it.
Please be specific. We would love to learn more about your community and what matters to you. Authenticity is valued, so try to avoid generic or AI-generated responses.- Describe a real situation where you have been faced with a challenge and had to use a leadership skill to come up with a solution, even if it wasn’t in a formal leadership role. What happened, what did you do, and what did you learn about yourself or others from that experience?
- CV
- Your CV should not be more than 1 page.
- 2 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.
Logistics Information & Costs
Here’s How it Works
Please read the following logistics information and cost carefully and confirm your comprehension by signing at the bottom.
The 2026 Young Leaders Fellowship will take place in New York, New York, and Burlington, Vermont, from July 21 – 30, 2026. 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 March 5, 2026. The deposit will be refunded to the participant in full on July 2026, 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 April 1, 2026.
Payment can be made via Square or PayPal. If no payment is made by March 5, 2026, you will be considered to no longer be 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 20 – July 30, 2026
- Three meals per day from July 21 – July 30, 2026
- 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 20, 2026, and July 30, 2026
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 two months before the start of the program if they DO NOT require housing in NYC. MCW (including staff, volunteers, board members, and friends of MCW) is not responsible for providing accommodations for participants prior to or beyond the traveling days of 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!
Liability Release
In consideration for MCW Global (Miracle Corners of the World) (the ‘Organization’) admitting me to the MCW Global Young Leaders Program described above (the ‘Program’), which Program will or may involve travel between my respective home and the U.S.A. and participation in recreation and service activities. I hereby:
- Release and discharge the Organization from any liability or responsibility for any injury (including death), and for any damage to or loss of property, howsoever caused, that I suffer as a result of or in connection with my participation in the Program or any travel related to the Program, including, without limitation, any injury, loss, or damage resulting from, arising out of, or occurring in connection with the negligent acts or omissions of members of the faculty or other employees or agents of the Organization.
- Agree that I am responsible for fees encountered for any cost associated with medical care provided by the clinic or hospital medical care during the in-person training program.
- Agree not to raise any claim or to institute any legal action or proceeding against the Organization for any cause of action that may result from or arise out of or in connection with my participation in the Program or any travel related to the Program, including without being limited to, any cause of action that may result from or arise out of or in connection with the negligent acts or omissions of members of the faculty or other employees or agents of the Organization.
- Agree not to disclose or utilize on behalf of any third party the Organization’s confidential and/or proprietary information, including but not limited to all the data stored on the (S:) Drive or in the Organization’s office.
- Agree that the Organization can use in any way photographs, video, audio and written materials taken by me, for me, or of me during the time period defined above.
All references to the Organization in this form shall include, and all provisions of this form shall inure to the benefit of the Organization’s trustees, officers, employees, agents, servants, and representatives.
I will inform an appropriate representative of the Organization named above of any special information regarding my health or physical or mental condition that may be relevant to my participation in the Program or any travel related to the program.
I understand that I am participating in this 10-day program and agree to follow the instructions from MCW Global leadership. I will remain with the group for the entire duration of the in-person training program (including all sessions, meals, and recreational events), and understand that my participation in this program for the full length is essential for building team cohesion. Should I get separated from the group at any time, I will immediately contact my designated MCW Global Leader. I understand that I am receiving complimentary accommodations and will respect all residential facilities by cleaning them upon departure and keeping a reasonable noise level in the evenings so as to not disturb neighbors who are paying for their accommodations. I understand that at no point during the in-person training program shall I break any U.S.A. law, including the possession or consumption of illegal drugs. Finally, I agree NOT to leave the residence hall facility in the evenings upon the completion of the scheduled program activities. Should I have any concerns with the above, I will speak with an MCW Global representative prior to signing this form.
New Online Resources Available for you!
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