Ways to Support Carnegie Young Leaders

Carnegie Young Leaders reflects our commitment to scaling our youth portfolio by significantly increasing the number of young changemakers across the country, placing civic leaders aged 14–24 in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. by 2026.

Over two years, the program will create a national network of over 1,000 engaged young leaders, reaching thousands more through their community projects. What began as a ten-week summer intensive has evolved into a year-long immersive program in response to overwhelming demand.

This proves young people don’t lack the passion or a plan—they just need the resources to make it real.

Supporting Young Leaders

• An investment of $25,000 funds one team of young changemakers in a single community, perhaps even in your own backyard!
• A gift of $50,000 supports two teams within a single state, including youth who live in urban and rural “civic deserts” that lack the resources and opportunities for them to fully engage in civic life.
• A grant of $100,0000 underwrites four youth teams focused on a specific issue area, such as criminal justice, education, health equity and wellness, or the environment.

Impact

Carnegie Young Leaders for Civic Preparedness builds on the success of a multi-year youth fellowship pilot program, which invested over $2 million to support hundreds of projects.

Real-World Skills They Built

• Critical problem-solving
• The ability to analyze longstanding community problems
• Collaboration with affected stakeholders
• Identification of community assets & resources
• Development of short-term action plans
• Different approaches to advocacy
• Effectively dialogue across differences

What changes when young people complete the program? These stats tell the story.

Beyond the Program

Upon completion of the program, the Carnegie Young Leaders will join a robust alumni network and the broader Citizens & Scholars community. They will be encouraged to stay involved and contribute to the program’s success as coaches or mentors for future cohorts and will have access to an alumni engagement platform to share their projects, collaborate on new ideas, and continue their civic journeys. Carnegie Young Leaders is poised to ignite a new wave of civic engagement among young Americans, setting the stage for a more informed, connected, and participatory citizenry.

Connect

For more information, please contact Beth Slater, Director of Development, at (970) 618-7120 or slater@citizensandscholars.org