The MCW Global Young Leaders Fellowship is a year-long leadership programme for young people aged 18 to 26 from all countries worldwide, with no geographic restrictions. It starts with a one-month community needs assessment, continues with a 10-day in-person training in New York and Burlington, Vermont (20-29 July 2027) and ends with ten months of project implementation backed by alumni mentors. Applications close on 3 December 2026 at 11:59 PM New York time. At Youth Works Hub, we reviewed the official MCW Global call and set out every phase, condition, date and cost below.
What the Fellowship Aims to Do
The programme mobilizes young people with the skills and resources to create and implement vision plans in education, health and economic security. Vision planning is the process of turning passion into a concrete, tangible plan for change. The year-long fellowship builds leadership development, global citizenship, self-awareness and vision planning.
If you are new to the format, our guide on what a fellowship is explains how it differs from a scholarship.
The Three Phases
1️⃣ Virtual, Community Needs Assessment (1 month, June-July 2027): an intensive community mapping and needs assessment. Young Leaders get the tools and knowledge to assess their own community before the in-person training, so they understand its needs better
2️⃣ In-person, Vision Planning and Project Development (10 days, 20-29 July 2027): participants arrive with an idea of a community issue to address. Diverse speakers, workshops, events and facilitated group work help them place local issues in a global context, understand why they are uniquely positioned to change their community and decide which tools and skills fit an actionable plan
3️⃣ Virtual, Project Implementation and Alumni Mentorship (10 months): participants carry out their action plans, each paired with an alumni mentor who has graduated from the fellowship. Mentors support them through quarterly "hangouts" and ongoing remote communication
Where and When the In-Person Training Happens
📍 Location: New York, New York, and Burlington, Vermont, United States
🗓️ Dates: 20-29 July 2027
🏛️ Accommodation: provided by New York University in New York and Champlain College in Burlington
🌍 All opportunities in United States →
Who Can Apply?
Young Leaders must:
🏘️ Demonstrate commitment to their community
🎯 Identify an issue in their community in education, health or economic security
💡 Show strong motivation to create positive change and an interest in social projects, with authentic and original thoughts; original ideas and genuine reflections are valued more than AI-generated responses
🎂 Be between 18 and 26 years old at the start of the program (1 June 2027); no exceptions are made to the age requirement
🌐 Geographic eligibility: open to applicants from all countries and regions worldwide
🗣️ Be fluent in written and spoken English
📆 Commit to the Community Needs Assessment in June, the 10-day in-person programme in July and the following year of executing the community project
💻 Have access to email and the internet for consistent contact with the MCW Global team and an alumni mentor for the whole programme
📜 Adhere to the Young Leaders Fellowship graduation guidelines, provided upon acceptance
🛂 Be eligible for appropriate visa and travel documentation
What the Application Contains
The application must be filled out in English. Letters of recommendation and resumes must also be in English, and any part not written in English will not be read and will be considered incomplete. It includes:
📋 General information
✍️ Essay questions: identify an issue in your community that concerns you and describe how you would address it, with specifics; and describe one time you faced a challenge and used leadership skills to develop a solution
📄 Resume of no more than 1 page
✉️ 2 letters of recommendation from people who know your work ethic and commitment to your community; friends and family members are discouraged from writing them, and recommenders must give their name, position, contact info and relationship to you at the top of the letter
⚖️ Liability waiver reviewed at the end of the application
MCW asks applicants to avoid AI-generated responses, because they negatively affect your chances. Our guide on using AI to write your motivation letter shows how to keep your own voice.
Selection Timeline
📌 5 November 2026: application opens
⏳ 3 December 2026: application closes
📬 21 December 2026: first-round decisions sent out, shortlisted candidates notified, second-round application opens
📝 8 January 2027: second-round application closes
🎙️ 3-16 February 2027: interviews with alumni
✅ 23 February 2027: acceptances sent out
🤝 2 March 2027: confirmation of acceptance
🛂 16 March 2027: confirmation of U.S. visa interview date and deposit by mentees
🏙️ 20-29 July 2027: in-person training
📚 July 2027 to July 2028: entire fellowship duration
Costs MCW Covers
✈️ International economy flights for international participants, and domestic economy flights for participants from the United States
🛏️ Housing from the evening of 19 July to 29 July 2027
🍽️ Three meals per day from 20 to 29 July 2027
🚆 Round-trip travel from New York to Burlington, Vermont
🚇 Public transportation to and from JFK, LaGuardia and Newark airports
Costs MCW Does Not Cover
🛃 Passport fees
💳 Visa fees
🎒 In-country costs, such as travel to your home airport and extra baggage fees
The $100 Refundable Deposit
Accepted participants must pay a $100 deposit by 16 March 2027, payable via Square. The deposit is refunded in full in July 2027 once you complete the in-person training. It covers costs MCW Global may incur if a participant cancels after 1 April 2027. If no payment is made by 16 March 2027, you are considered to no longer be attending, and if Square is not operational in your country or territory you should contact MCW Global.
Flights and Extra Housing Rules
🕐 Flights are booked to arrive one day before the programme and depart one day after it
💱 If you want to stay longer in the US, you book the flight yourself and MCW reimburses the cost of what it would have booked; no exceptions
⚠️ If you receive your visa less than a month before the programme because you delayed applying, travel is no longer provided
🧭 Travel booked by MCW follows the most cost-efficient route in economy or equivalent class
🏨 A room is provided on 19 and 29 July for those whose flights require it; tell MCW at least two months before the programme if you do not need housing in New York
💵 If you request the room and then do not stay, the $50 NYU cancellation fee is deducted from your deposit
More fellowships are listed in the Fellowships category.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which countries can apply?
All of them. MCW Global states that the fellowship is open to applicants from all countries and regions worldwide, with no geographic restrictions.
How old do I have to be?
You must be between 18 and 26 years old at the start of the program on 1 June 2027. MCW does not make exceptions to this age rule.
Do I have to pay anything?
Accepted participants pay a $100 deposit by 16 March 2027, refunded in full in July 2027 after the in-person training. Passport fees, visa fees and in-country costs are not covered by MCW.
Are flights and housing covered?
Yes. MCW covers economy flights, housing from 19 to 29 July 2027, three meals a day from 20 to 29 July and the New York to Burlington round trip.
What do I need to submit?
An English application with two essays, a one-page resume, two letters of recommendation and the liability waiver.
How long does the fellowship last?
About a year: a one-month needs assessment, a 10-day training in July 2027 and ten months of implementation with an alumni mentor.
Deadline
⏳ 03 December 2026
Links
📝 Application form: https://applicant.mcwglobal.org/apply/2027-mentee-call-young-leaders-fellowship
🌐 Official programme page: https://mcwglobal.org/young-leaders-fellowship-2027/
