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CA Youth Power-Building Fellowship: 2026 Application

Incubated by The Reclamation Project

ABOUT THE PROGRAM:

Youth Power Network (YPN) empowers young people in social impact by investing in and capacitating historically-marginalized youth founders, advocates, and changemakers. The Network provides versatile opportunities through grants and funding, fellowships, leadership programs, featured events, and robust resource libraries to promote public service and social change.

The CA Youth Power-Building Fellowship is designed to mentor young leaders (high school and college students ages 14-21) in strengthening their projects, expand their impact, and grow as changemakers through mentorship, skill-building, and community. We support Fellows in transforming a bright idea into real deliverables, as well as accelerating ongoing impact. While open to all, we prioritize applicants who identify as youth of color, immigrant youth, LGBTQ+ youth, first-generation low income (FGLI) college students, and other historically-marginalized identities.

Selected Fellows will receive a $500 seed microgrant to support in ideating, launching, and executing or trial-testing a social justice project or social impact start-up of their choice. In addition, all Fellows will receive individualized mentorship from YPN's experienced Mentors Board (comprised of distinguished non-profit founders, CEOs, social impact leaders, investors, academics, public officials, and more), access to project-building tools and templates, exclusive guest speaker events with innovative leaders in their lead, and monthly Fellowship sessions for project-based and professional development.

PLEASE READ THIS INFORMATION PACKET BEFORE APPLYING.

APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY:

Must be a California high school or college student between the ages of 14 and 21.

Preferably be located in a Fellowship focus region (Sacramento, Bay Area, Los Angeles / SoCal, and San Diego). We do still accept applications outside of these regions.

Must be working on a social impact project, whether at or beyond the ideation stage. Project must be related to the Fellowship’s priority areas (below). Fellows must be committed to accelerating measurable impact within the next 1 year.

Must apply as an individual (Joint or collaborative applications are not accepted). If multiple founders or leaders of the same project would like to each apply individually, that is permitted. Only one leader per project will be selected as a grantee and Fellow.

Projects are not required to be originally-founded by the applicant. Applicant does not have to be the sole founder or co-founder, but must demonstrate unique leadership and desired impact growth if accelerating a pre-existing project.

We accept applications from individual ventures, campus-based student groups and initiatives, non-registered projects and organizations, research proposals, small-business ideas, art/media, narrative, and awareness works, as well as registered 501c3 or fiscally-sponsored nonprofits or other youth-led entities, projects, or campaigns!

AI USAGE STATEMENT:

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools is strictly prohibited in the completion of this application. This includes, but is not limited to, tools that generate, edit, or enhance written responses, such as Claude, ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Grammarly Pro, etc. All responses must reflect the applicant’s own original work, skills, and thinking. Any use of AI may result in disqualification from consideration. By submitting this application, you acknowledge and agree to comply with this policy.

We want to hear your original voice. If you're a changemaker with a story, then show us that!

IMPORTANT DATES:

The 2026 Fellowship Program is set to run from May 2026 through December 2026.

Application Deadline: April 7, 2026, 11:59PM PST

Contact: kportiguesa@gmail.com (Lead Program Manager) with any questions or concerns. Instagram: @youthpowernet

APPLICANT INFORMATION

First Name

Last Name

Pronouns

Phone Number

Email Address

City/County (Applicants must be based in a California).

Age (Applicants must be between 14-21 years old)

Grade

School Name

DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION

The following questions are optional and help us better understand the communities we serve. Leaving this blank will not negatively impact your application. For applicants who believe that their personal identity or background has significantly shaped their voice, worldview, lived experience, or challenges they face as as a student, young founder, or changemaker, we encourage you to share as much as you would like to allow us to get a full sense of your story.

Are you / will you be a first-generation and/or low-income college student?

Race

Ethnic Identity

Gender

Do you identify as LGBTQ+?

For applicants who believe that their personal identity or background has significantly shaped their voice, worldview, lived experience, or challenges they face as as a student, young founder, or changemaker, we encourage you to share as much as you would like to allow us to get a full sense of your story.

Is there anything else you would like us to know about your background or lived experiences?

PROJECT INFORMATION

Project Name

Project Social Media (optional)

Project Website (optional)

Project Tags

501c3 or Fiscally-Sponsored Non-Profit

Non-Registered Non-Profit and/or Independent Community or Grassroots Social Justice Project

Registered For-Profit Social Enterprise

Individual Venture and/or Non-Registered For-Profit Social Enterprise

Research Proposal / Community-Based or Policy Research

Campus-Based Student Organization/Club

Narrative Change, Arts, & Media Project

Small Business

Mutual aid and Service

Project Mission & Vision Statement

How is your project working to effectively address a need? What specifically does your project deliver to the people it serves?

Project Stage

Ideation

Pre-Launch

Launch

Execution & Testing

Growth & Scale

What impact has your project had already? What is the goal for your project in the next year? Has any preparation already been made towards that goal?

How will the $500 Fellowship grant support your project in meeting these goals?

Which issue area(s) does your project address? (Select all that apply)

Advancing racial justice, immigrant justice, and/or improving racial/ethnic relations.

Promoting cultural diversity, awareness, heritage, and empowerment.

Advancing gender equality, gender justice, and gender relations.

Amplifying marginalized voices in branding, arts (visual and performing), media, and/or entertainment.

Supporting socioeconomic development and equity of disadvantaged populations.

Benefiting leadership and entrepreneurship of under-served and marginalized youth and/or communities.

Fostering and empowering youth service/volunteerism and civic engagement.

Improving community health, healing, and wellness, including mental/emotional health.

Building safe, sustainable, accessible, and/or environmentally-vital and climate-resilient communities.

Expanding access to education and improving learning.

Elevating youth voice and representation in local government.

What is your role/title in this project? What do you contribute to this project? If there are other members on your team, please do list and describe their roles as well.

Please attach any relevant materials related to your project that you would like to be considered in the selection process (optional).

Please share any other relevant links related to your project that you would like to be considered in the selection process (optional).

YOU AS A CHANGEMAKER

What motivates you as a changemaker? Why do you do this work? What is your driving force?

How do you hope to grow as a leader, organizer, social entrepreneur, or changemaker through this Fellowship?

LinkedIn Profile or Resume (optional).

If there anything else you'd like to add?

PROGRAM COMMITMENTS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I confirm that I am between 14 and 21 years old and based in California.

I confirm that my project aligns with one or more Fellowship priority issue areas.

I understand that this Fellowship is set to run from May 2026 to December 2026.

I commit to attending monthly virtual Fellowship sessions lasting 1–2 hours.

I understand that only one Fellow per project may be selected.

I acknowledge that if selected, I am expected to actively participate and communicate with Youth Power Network staff.

I confirm that I did not use generative AI in any part of this application and acknowledge my application will be disqualified upon reviewers' ample suspicion of AI use.

I confirm that all information reflected on this application is truthful and accurate to the best of my knowledge, and that any misrepresentation of my project or myself can result in disqualification from the selection process.

SIGNATURE

Signature