Empowering the Next Generation: Apply Now for the UNICEF Leading Minds Fellowship on Climate Education (US$20,000 Grant!)

If you’re a young changemaker from India or South Asia passionate about climate action and education, this is the opportunity you’ve been waiting for.

UNICEF has launched the Leading Minds Fellowship on Climate Education – a fully funded program that gives youth leaders the resources, mentorship, and platform to drive real climate solutions in schools and communities.

What is the Leading Minds Fellowship?

The Leading Minds Fellowship is UNICEF’s flagship youth engagement initiative that brings together some of the brightest young minds to co-create solutions for the world’s biggest challenges. The 2025–2026 cohort is dedicated exclusively to climate education and climate action – with a special focus on India and the South Asia region.

Selected fellows will receive:

• A US$20,000 grant to implement their climate education project
• High-level mentorship from UNICEF experts and global climate leaders
• Opportunities to influence national and regional policy on climate education
• Participation in global convenings, including the prestigious UNICEF Leading Minds Conference
• A powerful network of fellow youth leaders from across the region

Who Can Apply?

• Age: 18–30 years old
• Nationality/Residency: India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bhutan, Afghanistan, or Pakistan
• Demonstrated passion and experience in climate action, education, youth engagement, or community mobilization
• A bold idea or ongoing project that uses education to drive climate awareness and action in schools, colleges, or local communities

Whether you’re building climate curricula, training teachers, running youth-led awareness campaigns, organizing community resilience programs, or advocating for policy change – if your work centers on climate education, this fellowship is for you.

What Kind of Projects Are They Looking For?

Successful proposals typically focus on:

• Integrating climate change into school curricula
• Training teachers on climate education methodologies
• Creating youth-led climate awareness campaigns
• Building community-based early warning or adaptation programs
• Using arts, sports, or digital media to teach climate action
• Research and policy advocacy on climate education gaps in South Asia

Why This Fellowship Matters (Especially for South Asia)

South Asia is one of the most climate-vulnerable regions on earth – from devastating floods in Pakistan and Bangladesh to heatwaves in India and rising sea levels threatening the Maldives. Yet, climate education remains severely underfunded and underrepresented in formal education systems.

This fellowship is a direct investment in the young leaders who will change that narrative.

How to Apply

Applications are open now and reviewed on a rolling basis – which means the sooner you apply, the better!

→ Apply here: https://www.unicef.org/leading-minds/fellowship
(Direct link will be live on the official UNICEF Leading Minds page)

You’ll need to submit:

1. A short personal video (2–3 minutes)
2. Your CV
3. A project proposal or description of your climate education work/idea
4. Two references

Deadline? There Isn’t One (Yet) – But Don’t Wait!

While applications are ongoing, spots are limited, and the selection committee is already reviewing submissions. Many fellows from previous cohorts applied months early and used the extra time to refine their projects with UNICEF feedback.

Final Thought

US$20,000, global mentorship, policy influence, and a platform to scale your climate education work – all from one of the world’s most respected organizations.

If you’ve ever thought, “I wish someone would just give me the resources to make my climate project happen,” – this is that moment.

Don’t self-reject. Apply.

The planet can’t wait, and neither should you.

Apply today: unicef.org/leading-minds/fellowship
Share this post with every young climate warrior you know in South Asia!