In the face of urgent global challenges – poverty, climate change, HIV/AIDS, hunger, homelessness – young people are exercising their leadership potential like never before. YouthActionNet® strengthens and celebrates the role of young people in leading positive change in their communities.

YouthActionNet® supports aspiring and accomplished young leaders by providing skill-building, advocacy, and networking opportunities. It does so at three levels:

• Global Institute – Twenty outstanding young social entrepreneurs are selected annually for the YouthActionNet® Global Fellowship through a competitive application process.
  Global Fellows are distinguished by their exemplary track records, pattern-changing ideas, global perspectives, and commitment to achieving long-term systemic change. Through the yearlong program, participants refine their leadership skills, collaborate across national boundaries, and advocate for their causes at the global level.

• National Institutes – Established within individual countries, National YouthActionNet® Institutes select youth leaders to participate in an intensive, national-level training program. National Institutes are deeply rooted in the context where they operate. Their goal: to prepare young leaders to influence national policies and priorities, while strengthening the youth leadership sector within individual countries. To date, YouthActionNet® has launched institutes in Brazil and Mexico, with additional institutes planned for Australia, Chile, Egypt, Haiti, Israel, and Spain in 2008-09.

• Virtual Institute – Capitalizing on the power and reach of today’s technology revolution, YouthActionNet.org provides young leaders globally with a state-of-the-art virtual platform through which to strengthen their knowledge, build skills, network, and advocate for their causes.

Through this comprehensive strategy, YouthActionNet® seeks to contribute to the development of a new generation of socially conscious citizens leading change in their communities.

YouthActionNet® gratefully acknowledges the support of the MacArthur Foundation, Nokia, Pearson Foundation, Porter Novelli, Starbucks Foundation, Stichting Levi Lassen, Sylvan Laureate Foundation, and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

For further information, visit: www.youthactionnet.org

Read about the 2007 YouthActionNet® Global Fellows.

Click here to learn more about IYF's Youth Leadership and Engagement initiatives.