FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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What are the eligibility requirements to apply to AYLF?

• Applicant must be 18-22 years old by the Fellowship start date on September 21, 2024.

• Applicants must be a resident of Miami-Dade County, the Chicago metro area, or the Arkansas/ Mississippi Delta region, who have completed high school in the area. U.S. citizenship is not required.

• Have a desire to lead and contribute to creating positive change in their home communities of either Chicago, Miami-Dade County, or the Arkansas/Mississippi Delta region.

• Grades and GPA do not factor into eligibility or the selection process.

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What will I gain from this experience?

AYLF not only introduces you to changemakers and other people your age striving to make a difference, it also teaches you a lot about yourself. You will learn new perspectives about what it takes to lead, discover new things about who you are in the context of your community, and connect to an incredible network of support that will nurture you throughout your life. You'll gain exposure to tools for facilitating dialogue; you'll travel and experience cross-cultural development;you'll have access to college and career assistance and resources and one-on-one coaching sessions; and you'll be given a platform to contribute your voice and vision locally and beyond. It will be transformative, to say the least, and give you the resilience, confidence, and skills to pursue your goals.

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Should I be accepted, what is the commitment to AYLF?

Fellows commit to engaging in 9 one-and-a-half-day sessions, and one regional summit, totalling 10 sessions. You will also contribute their skills and talents as collaborative leaders to the community impact project (CIP), which entails an additional ~10 hours a month outside of sessions during the final four months of the first year of the program.

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What is the cost of the program?

The program is at no cost to you thanks to generous underwriters. You even receive a stipend!