Entries open for the UNICEF Leading Minds Fellowship on Climate Education

Applications are now open for the 2026–2027 cohort of UNICEF Leading Minds Fellowship on Climate Education—one of the world’s most ambitious programmes designed to place young people at the very centre of the global conversation on climate learning and action.

UNICEF is searching worldwide for up to 12 extraordinary young climate leaders aged 10–30 who are already driving powerful, youth-led “Bright Spots” in climate education. Whether you are transforming school curricula, building grassroots learning movements, partnering with ministries, running digital awareness campaigns, or weaving climate justice into community traditions, this fully funded 18-month fellowship will amplify your work, connect you with peers across continents, and give you a seat at the highest policy tables.

Selected Fellows will receive grants of up to US $20,000 to scale their initiatives, plus comprehensive mentorship, research support, travel opportunities, and a stipend that recognises the time and expertise they contribute.

What the Fellowship Offers

Over the course of February 2026 to July 2027, Fellows will:

• Document, refine, and globally showcase their existing climate-education initiative.
• Co-create cutting-edge, youth-led research and foresight reports on the future of learning in a climate-changed world.
• Influence national education policies and represent youth voices at major UN and global forums, including COP events.
• Develop compelling stories, toolkits, policy briefs, and open-source resources that inspire education systems everywhere.
• Co-design and co-host high-level international convenings that bring together ministers, educators, scientists, and activists.

Who Can Apply?

UNICEF welcomes bold applications from young people aged 10–30 who are actively leading or co-leading a climate-education initiative in any of the following (or related) areas:

• Integrating climate learning into formal school systems (curriculum reform, teacher training, eco-clubs, greening school infrastructure).
• Collaborating with local or national government on policy and programming.
• Advancing climate education through the lenses of human rights, gender equality, intergenerational justice, or Indigenous knowledge.
• Building community resilience through informal, non-formal, or place-based learning projects.
• Harnessing digital media, social platforms, art, gaming, or storytelling to spark widespread awareness and behaviour change.

Requirements

• Age 10–30 at the time of application.
• Currently leading or meaningfully representing a tangible climate-education project or organisation.
• Able to commit 4–5 hours per week throughout the fellowship.
• Fluent in English (proficiency in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish is a strong advantage).
• Passionate, collaborative, and eager to learn from and contribute to a diverse global cohort.

Benefits at a Glance

• Project grant of up to $20,000.
• Monthly stipend for the duration of the fellowship.
• One-on-one mentorship from UNICEF climate and education experts.
• Opportunities to speak at global stages and in the media.
• Professional training in advocacy, systems thinking, research, and leadership.
• Lifelong membership in the UNICEF youth-alumni and Leading Minds networks.

About the UNICEF Leading Minds Fellowship

Launched as part of UNICEF’s flagship Leading Minds Conference series and its broader work on climate and education, the Fellowship is one of the few global programmes that intentionally includes adolescents as young as 10 alongside university students and young professionals up to age 30. By bridging these age groups, UNICEF creates a unique intergenerational space where schoolchildren’s fresh perspectives meet the strategic experience of older youth, producing ideas and solutions that traditional adult-led forums often miss.

Since its inception, the programme has supported dozens of youth-led initiatives in more than 40 countries, influenced national climate-education policies from Fiji to Peru, and produced widely cited reports co-authored by children and youth that are now shaping UNICEF’s global Reimagine Education agenda and the Greening Education Partnership with UNESCO and other UN agencies. Past Fellows have gone on to advise governments, launch social enterprises, win international awards, and become some of the most recognised young voices in the climate movement.

For detailed guidelines, selection criteria, and to submit your application, visit the official UNICEF Leading Minds Fellowship on Climate Education webpage before 31 December 2025.

Questions? Reach out to the UNICEF Innocenti youth team at [email protected].