FY 2026 Youth Ambassadors Programs
This cooperative agreement funds organizations to run three-week international youth leadership exchange programs with follow-on community projects, including U.S.-based peer participation and AI-related program elements as encouraged.
⚑ Multiple program options; submit a separate proposal for each option. · Proposals must identify the specific program option early in the Executive Summary. · Foreign-country participant exchange is central; direct eligibility depends on the full solicitation.
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| IPPRA | 54 partial | outside portfolio topics; signature methods: community engaged; social/behavioral work is central; funds training education, not research (capped); eligibility unclear — verify in the NOFO |
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 20 weak | technical depth: minor; funds training education (capped) |
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 5 none | no commercialization signal |
Description
The Office of Citizen Exchanges, Youth Programs Division of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) is pleased to announce an open competition for the FY 2026 Youth Ambassadors program. Proposals may be submitted to implement one, or more, of eight program options outlined in this solicitation. A different proposal must be submitted for each program option, if applying for more than one. You must clearly identify which program option a proposal is for, early in the Executive Summary of the proposal. The Youth Ambassadors program provides groups of youth and adult mentor (select programs) participants from select countries in the regions of Sub-Saharan Africa (AF), East Asia and Pacific (EAP), Europe and Eurasia (EUR), Middle East and North Africa (NEA), South Central Asia (SCA), the Western Hemisphere (WHA), and the United States of America (USA) , with a three-week exchange focusing on youth leadership. In addition to participants travelling internationally, exchanges will include U.S. youth and adult mentors participating as peers in U.S. based exchanges. As applicants explore the main theme of leadership, they are encouraged to showcase creative and transformative application of AI concepts, resources, strategies, and tools. Program participants will apply knowledge gained on the program to implement follow-on projects in their home communities.
Please see the Notice of Funding Opportunity for additional information.
Eligibility
Please see full announcement.
Apply
View on Grants.gov → CONTACT: Bureau Of Educational and Cultural Affairs <SarsourAA@state.gov>
Proposal brief SEE AN EXAMPLE →
A one-page internal memo: fit assessment, submission requirements, document scaffold, and next steps dated back from the deadline — tailored to your project idea if you add one.
Proposal shell · Federal (generic) conventions SEE A FEDERAL EXAMPLE →
Funder-faithful document skeletons — Federal (generic)'s document set with section headings, page limits, reviewer guidance, and writing prompts; add a project idea to get [DRAFT] starter bullets. Download as .md for Word or Overleaf.