When Young People Lead, Communities Change: New Class of Carnegie Young Leaders Announced

PRINCETON, N.J., July 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

Seventy-one teams spanning 46 states awarded funding and yearlong support to drive community impact

Across the country, young people are not just raising their voices, they are solving problems in their communities. C&S, in partnership with the Andrew Carnegie Foundation, today announced the newest class of fellows for the Carnegie Young Leaders for Civic Preparedness program. Seventy-one youth-led teams from 46 states were selected to transform local challenges into concrete solutions in schools, neighborhoods, campuses, and communities nationwide.

As part of the program, these young leaders, ages 14-24, will receive grants of up to $7,500, along with access to coaching, a national network of civic leaders, and the resources necessary to launch bold local initiatives and partner with peers and mentors committed to a stronger democracy.

Unlike programs that focus on a specific cause or leadership development, Carnegie Young Leaders starts with the young people themselves. Fellows define the issue they want to address, design a response rooted in their knowledge of their communities and lead the work as a team, supported by funding, coaching, mentorship, training, and a national peer network.

“Carnegie Young Leaders is built on a simple belief: young people do not need to wait to become leaders. They are already identifying what is broken, bringing teams together and building practical solutions right now,” said Audra Watson, chief of youth civic programs at C&S. “Every one of these teams started by seeing a problem up close and deciding to do something about it. Our program recognizes them as problem-solvers today and provides the support, mentorship, and national community needed to turn local insight into real solutions that strengthen their communities.”

The 71 team leads will convene in New Brunswick, New Jersey, July 27–29, 2026, for the Carnegie Young Leaders kickoff, where they will launch a year of collaboration, skill-building, and community-centered problem-solving. The fellowship is designed to help young people move from idea to impact with the wraparound support many youth programs don’t provide.

This second-year cohort builds on a strong inaugural class. In 2025, fellows addressed urgent issues such as food insecurity, disaster recovery, civic engagement, environmental sustainability, and mental health.

Some of those efforts delivered immediate, visible impact. In Anchorage, Alaska, Emily Brubaker and her BioGlitter Initiative team successfully campaigned to replace plastic glitter in classrooms with biodegradable alternatives. The project moved from petitions and teacher outreach to an Anchorage School Board resolution that now affects up to 43,000 students. In Miami, Florida, the Fridge of Plenty Miami team, led by Demi Trimm, provided food to 313 families in 2025, distributed 150 Thanksgiving meal bags and partnered with major grocers, four nonprofits, and five high schools to strengthen food access across Miami-Dade County.

The new class continues that momentum with ambitious, practical, community-rooted projects. Selected teams include:

• Corals to Committees (O‘ahu, HI): Connecting science and policy through field research, outreach, and virtual storytelling that make environmental science more accessible and bring community voices into conversations with legislators.
• IRIS (Pittsburgh, PA): Building and field-testing a low-cost wearable AI device to help residents with visual impairments navigate Pittsburgh’s terrain more easily.
• LungIQ (Indianapolis, IN): Addressing low lung cancer screening rates through an interactive platform that helps high-risk residents understand their risk, navigate barriers, and act.
• Utah Nuclear Health Initiative (Park City, UT): Using theater, public awareness, and practical support to advocate for Utah Downwinders and reduce uranium exposure in high-risk communities.
• O.R.E.S. (Powell, OH): Responding to rising household energy burdens with a community-based model that distributes tools and resources to help low-income and rural families reduce electricity costs.
  

With funding provided by Andrew Carnegie Foundation, Henry Luce Foundation, Hewlett Foundation and Crown Family Philanthropies, these teams underscore a defining feature of Carnegie Young Leaders: young people from urban, suburban and rural communities are stepping up to solve problems together.

Carnegie Young Leaders is one part of C&S’s broader goal to help spark 20 million civic problem-solvers by 2029. C&S is investing in the next generation not just as future participants in democracy, but as active contributors deciding what comes next.

Meet the full list of 2026 recipients and learn about their projects at: https://cands.org/carnegie-young-leaders/.

About C&S: The Institute for Citizens & Scholars
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 our work, C&S helps young people practice three essential civic skills: having productive conversations; using credible information; and collaborating to create solutions. Learn more at cands.org.

About the Andrew Carnegie Foundation
The Andrew Carnegie Foundation, originally established as Carnegie Corporation of New York in 1911, works to reduce political polarization through grants that support ladders of opportunity and a more peaceful world. Its funding provides individuals with the knowledge and tools needed to improve their lives, participate fully in society, and advance peace

Contacts

Zach Coville Carney
Brodeur Partners for C&S
zcarney@brodeur.com
Angely Montilla
Andrew Carnegie Foundation
aem@carnegie.org

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/53759cd0-e64c-4d2e-9b8d-05bd91ba24ff

Cover Image

When Young People Lead, Communities Change: New Class of Carnegie Young Leaders Announced

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.