Applications Open — Youth Leadership Program
Introducing Malak Foundation Mentorship Program
At Malak Foundation, we have always believed that the most powerful agents of change are the people closest to the challenges they seek to solve. Young Australians from diverse, migrant, and underrepresented communities carry knowledge, insight, and vision that our civic and policy systems desperately need — yet too often, the doors to those systems remain closed.
That is about to change.
We are proud to announce the launch of Malak Foundation Youth Leadership Program — a six-month mentorship program designed to equip young Australians aged 18 to 30 with the skills, networks, and platforms needed to shape the decisions that affect their communities.
Applications for Cohort 1 are open now. The closing date is 30 June 2026.
What is the program?
The Youth Leadership Program is built around three core pillars:
Policy development and civic leadership. Fellows learn how Australian policy is made — from legislation and government processes to community advocacy — and how to develop evidence-based proposals that speak directly to decision-makers.
Public engagement and advocacy. Fellows build the communication skills to speak publicly, write for media, and engage with civic and global forums — including pathways to international platforms like the Youth 20 (Y20) and the United Nations General Assembly.
Startup formation and social enterprise. Fellows who want to build something translate their community insight into viable social enterprises or startups, developing a pitch-ready business plan with support from the entrepreneurship ecosystem.
The program runs from August 2026 to January 2027. Sessions are held online, fortnightly, for two to three hours each — making it accessible from anywhere in Australia. Limited in-person excursions, group meetups, and social activities are woven throughout to build genuine community between fellows.
Fellows are supported by mentors drawn from the Foundation's professional network — practitioners in government, policy, advocacy, and entrepreneurship — who contribute through sessions, feedback, and connections to their networks.
What will fellows produce?
This is not a training course. Every fellow graduates with a real, substantive deliverable:
A policy paper — an evidence-based proposal addressing a real legislative or systemic gap, with recommendations for decision-makers
A business plan — a viable plan for a social enterprise or startup addressing a community need, pitch-ready and grounded in research
A recommendations brief — a concise, submission-ready brief for a government, community, or sector body
The best deliverables will be supported by Malak Foundation for publication or formal submission to relevant bodies. Fellows are not practicing for the future — they are contributing to it now.
Who is this program for?
This program is for young Australians aged 18 to 30 who are passionate about their community and ready to channel that passion into action.
You do not need a university degree. You do not need prior experience in policy or government. You do not need an existing business idea or connections to civic networks. What we are looking for is commitment, community connection, and a genuine desire to create change.
We especially encourage applications from people who have never had access to these pathways before — from culturally diverse, migrant, and refugee backgrounds, and from communities that are underrepresented in the spaces where decisions are made.
The program is free to join. There is no cost to apply and no financial payment to participants. What you gain is something more lasting: skills, a professional network, a real deliverable, and a pathway into leadership.
Our partners
The Malak Foundation is actively engaging delivery partners to support the program across four areas: policy and diplomacy, startup and social enterprise, government and civic engagement, and community and media.
We have commenced engagement with Global Voices — a leading youth-led organisation that equips young Australians with skills in policy, diplomacy, and advocacy, and provides access to national and international forums. Their model of moving young people from observers to active contributors aligns strongly with the vision behind this program.
Confirmed delivery partners will be announced in the coming weeks, ahead of the first cohort commencing in August 2026.
How to apply
Applications are submitted through our online application form and include:
A written statement of 400–500 words on your background, community, and the change you want to create — no formal writing style required, write in your own voice
An optional two-minute video statement, warmly encouraged for applicants for whom English writing is a barrier
Two references from a community leader, employer, educator, or mentor
A short interview in July 2026 for shortlisted applicants
Applications close 30 June 2026.
Cohort 1 will comprise 5 to 10 fellows, selected through a competitive but accessible process. Shortlisted applicants will be contacted for interviews in July, with offers made before the program commences in August.
A note from Malak Foundation
We designed this program because we have seen, again and again, what happens when young people from our communities are given genuine access — not token access, but real training, real mentorship, and real platforms. They do not just participate. They lead.
The Malak Foundation Youth Leadership Program is the beginning of something we intend to sustain and grow. Cohort 1 is small by design — intimate, high-quality, and built to last. The alumni of this cohort will become the mentors, advocates, and connectors of the cohorts that follow.
If you are a young person who has ever felt that the rooms where decisions are made were not built for you — this program is your invitation in.
Questions? Contact us at info@malakfoundation.org
The Malak Foundation Youth Leadership Program — Cohort 1 commences August 2026. Applications close 30 June 2026.
