Program supports C&S efforts to make civic engagement more accessible for Gen Z

Princeton, NJ – March 19, 2026 – C&S announced a call for participants for the next class of the Carnegie Young Leaders program, inviting young people ages 14–24 from across the United States to turn their ideas for community change into real action.

Funded through a grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York, Carnegie Young Leaders equips young changemakers with funding, coaching, and a national peer network to design and launch community-based civic projects in schools, on campuses, online, and in neighborhoods. Participants practice core civic skills: having productive conversations, using credible information, and collaborating to solve public problems in ways that fit their lives and communities.

The program’s first class has already demonstrated how small, focused efforts can create meaningful impact in communities across the country. Sample projects include:

• In Sheldon, IL, Patricia Mathu and her team organized the Iroquois County Community Dinner, bringing together residents with differing views to discuss the future of agriculture and strengthen local food systems.
• In Powell, OH, Tarun Batchu and his team launched Project Demos, a youth-led civic engagement initiative that connects high school students with local policymakers to work on issues like the opioid crisis and road safety.
• In Anchorage, AK, Emily Brubaker’s BioGlitter Initiative is reducing microplastics in schools by replacing harmful plastic glitter with sustainable alternatives and mobilizing community advocates across the district. Together, these projects reflect how young leaders, when supported and trusted, can strengthen communities and model what civic problem-solving looks like in action

“Gen Z is already showing how powerful their leadership can be in their communities when they have the space to act,” said Audra Watson, chief of youth civic programs at C&S. “Carnegie Young Leaders gives young people the skills, support, and community needed to turn everyday civic actions into sustained impact.”

Selected teams of young people will receive flexible project funding, one-on-one guidance from experienced mentors, and connections to other youth leaders across the country.

C&S encourages applications from youth who may not see themselves as leaders but are already helping neighbors, organizing online, caring for their communities, or speaking up about issues they care about.

“You don’t have to start big to make a difference,” added Watson. “If you can bring people together, ask good questions, and take one concrete step, you already have what it takes. Working together, this program will help us all go further.”

Young people ages 14–24 in the United States can learn more and apply at https://cands.org/carnegie-young-leaders/. The priority deadline for submissions is March 30, 2026.

About Carnegie Corporation of New York

Carnegie Corporation of New York (Carnegie.org) was established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding. Today the foundation works to reduce political polarization through philanthropic support for the issues that Carnegie considered most important: education, democracy, and peace.

About C&S

Founded in 1945 as the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, C&S (cands.org) sparks young people to help build a strong and thriving America. Guided by the Power of &, C&S is grounded in a simple belief: young people with ideas—not institutions with ideologies—make our country stronger. We meet young people where they are—on campuses, at work, and in their communities—creating clear pathways for discovery, collaboration, and fresh civic solutions. Across all of our work, C&S helps young people practice three essential civic skills: having productive conversations; using credible information; and collaborating to create solutions.

For more information, visit https://cands.org.

Media Contact

Zach Coville Carney
Brodeur Partners for C&S
zcarney@brodeur.com

Angely Montilla
Carnegie Corporation of New York
AEM@carnegie.org