A global community, est. 2021

The home for young leaders protecting and restoring the planet.

We back the young people doing the real work, through recognition, funding, mentorship, and community, from a first idea to a first organization.

59 featured leaders · 6 continents · One long-term home
A young environmental leader in the field at golden hour

Leader of the month

Amara · Reforesting Côte d'Ivoire

Walks with you for a decade

Young leaders in 6 continents and growing.

50+ leaders, 18 countries

Each pin is a person. Click one to read their story, or filter by the kind of work they're doing on the ground.

0 of 0 shown
Our leaders have been recognized by
Forbes 30 Under 30National Geographic Young ExplorerUN Youth Climate Summit speakerTED FellowAshoka Young ChangemakerWEF Global ShaperUNEP Young Champion of the EarthDiana AwardObama Foundation LeaderMIT Solve FellowForbes 30 Under 30National Geographic Young ExplorerUN Youth Climate Summit speakerTED FellowAshoka Young ChangemakerWEF Global ShaperUNEP Young Champion of the EarthDiana AwardObama Foundation LeaderMIT Solve Fellow

How we walk with young leaders.

YPL is long term infrastructure for young leaders. Six connected programs that meet them wherever they are, and stay with them for years.

  1. Recognition + funding
    01

    Awards and Funding

    Monthly $1,000 features, quarterly sponsorships up to $2,000, and two annual ($5,000 & $2,500) Leader of the Year Awards. Recognition with money behind it.

    Learn more
  2. Skills · free
    02

    Changemaker Academy

    A free 8-week virtual program for ages 14 to 22. Two hours a week, weekly seminars, and funding for the top three projects.

    Learn more
  3. 1:1 · 12 months
    03

    Mentorship

    Hand-matched year long pairings with senior practitioners in climate, policy, conservation, storytelling and business.

    Learn more
  4. Annual · global
    04

    Digital Summit

    One day, six continents, one shared challenge. Our young leaders convene online with peers, mentors, and funders.

    Learn more
  5. Community
    05

    Clubs Program

    Funding and support for specific community initiatives from approved YPL Chapters.

    Learn more
  6. Leadership
    06

    Youth Advisory Board

    A rotating board of YPLs shaping the organization from the inside, on programs, partnerships, and where we go next.

    Learn more

What the leaders actually say about YPL.

This support didn't just fund a program, it opened doors for students who had never once imagined they could reach universities, let alone government universities. Many of them are the first in their families to even try. For our community, where most parents earn less than USD 150 a month, opportunities like this simply do not exist unless someone reaches in from the outside. Your team did that for them.
M Rizki Syahrul Mubarok

Five years in. Just getting started.

Numbers don't tell the whole story, but they hint at the shape of a community that keeps growing, year after year.

0Featured young leaders
0k+People reached through talks and presentations
0M+Views across videos, articles, workshops, outreach
0Countries reached by our leaders
60 stories and counting

Meet our young planet leaders.

See all leaders
The Academy Fall 2026

A free 8-week virtual program for ages 14 to 22.

Two hours a week, weekly seminars from top experts on fundraising, conflict management, and storytelling. Build alongside a global cohort on Discord. The top three projects get seed funding to keep going.

8
Weeks
2h
Per week
3
Projects funded
Free
Always

"The Academy didn't just teach me how to build a project. It gave me a cohort of friends I still text every week."

Naya, 2025 cohort, Philippines
See how the Academy works

2026 applications are closed. The next cohort opens in 2027.

Cohort working togetherCohort presentationCohort planting trees

Ages 14 to 22, anywhere in the world.

A mentor who actually knows your work, for a year, not an hour.

We pair every YPL leader with a senior practitioner working in the same field, climate science, policy, conservation, storytelling, business. No generic career advice.

  • Matched, not assigned

    Every pairing is hand-made, by people who actually know both sides.

  • Real work, not advice

    Mentors help shape the project, drafting strategy, opening doors, reviewing pitches.

  • 12+ months minimum

    No 30-minute office hours. Long enough to ship something together.

Newsletter

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One email a month, a young leader worth knowing, plus funding and opportunity deadlines before they close.

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Backed and partnered with

PatagoniaWWFOne Tree PlantedEarth.orgUNEPAshokaEchoing Green