AFS Youth Assembly Impact Coordinator 2026: Global Volunteer Leadership Opportunity with Full Scholarship to the 2027 Youth Assembly in Geneva

The AFS Youth Assembly is inviting its alumni to apply to become Impact Coordinators, a significant global leadership opportunity designed for young changemakers who want to help transform ideas into measurable social impact while strengthening youth-led initiatives across different regions of the world. Launched as part of the next phase of the AFS Youth Assembly Alumni Impact Network, the Impact Coordinator opportunity places selected alumni at the center of regional youth engagement, project development, mentorship, collaboration, and impact-building. Impact Coordinators will serve for a two-year term, working with Youth Assembly alumni in their respective regions and helping them develop ideas, identify resources, connect with relevant opportunities, and advance projects that contribute to positive social change. A particularly attractive benefit of the opportunity is that selected Impact Coordinators will receive a full scholarship to attend the 2027 AFS Youth Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland. Coordinators will also receive training support and an AFS Global Competence Certificate while developing practical leadership, communication, organizational, mentoring, networking, and project coordination skills. About the AFS Youth Assembly The AFS Youth Assembly is an international platform that brings together young leaders, changemakers, social entrepreneurs, activists, students, professionals, educators, and other individuals committed to building more inclusive, peaceful, sustainable, and equitable societies. The platform focuses on helping emerging leaders connect across borders, develop global competence, acquire practical skills, build partnerships, and translate ideas into action. The Youth Assembly was founded in 2004 by the Friendship Ambassadors Foundation and is now part of AFS Intercultural Programs. AFS is an international nonprofit organization focused on intercultural learning and the development of knowledge, skills, and understanding that can contribute to a more just and peaceful world. The Youth Assembly is intended to be more than a stand-alone international gathering. Participants are encouraged to continue their development and community engagement after attending the Assembly through opportunities such as the Alumni Impact Network, leadership roles, mentoring, project development, collaboration, and other AFS activities. What Is the AFS Youth Assembly Alumni Impact Network? The AFS Youth Assembly Alumni Impact Network is a global community created to help former Youth Assembly participants continue developing their ideas and generating impact after the Assembly. Rather than allowing the Youth Assembly experience to end when delegates return home, the network provides a structure through which alumni can remain connected, collaborate with other changemakers, obtain mentorship, access useful resources, develop their skills, pursue project support, and showcase their achievements. The network is designed to support alumni in several important areas, including: • Developing and implementing action-oriented projects; • Receiving mentorship and connections to relevant experts; • Accessing opportunities for seed funding; • Building regional and international partnerships; • Connecting with other Youth Assembly alumni; • Showcasing successful projects and achievements internationally; • Participating in skills-development activities; and • Receiving peer-to-peer support from other young changemakers. The Alumni Impact Network is open to people who have previously participated in a session of the Youth Assembly. Why AFS Is Recruiting Impact Coordinators Following the 31st AFS Youth Assembly held in Geneva in August 2026, the Alumni Impact Network is moving into another stage of its development. AFS is coordinating alumni engagement and impact activities across six major geographic regions: • Africa • Asia and Oceania • Europe • Latin America and the Caribbean • Middle East and North Africa • North America Impact Coordinators are intended to provide the regional leadership needed to connect alumni, encourage collaboration and help turn promising ideas into practical initiatives. They will effectively serve as an important connection between the wider AFS Youth Assembly network and alumni working on projects and initiatives within their regions. What Does an AFS Youth Assembly Impact Coordinator Do? An Impact Coordinator is expected to be more than a representative or titleholder. The position involves actively engaging with Youth Assembly alumni and helping create an environment where ideas, partnerships, resources, mentorship, and youth-led action can come together. Coordinators will help alumni progress from having an idea to developing and implementing meaningful activities. Their work can involve motivating alumni, connecting changemakers with one another, identifying useful resources, helping projects gain visibility and keeping AFS informed about the progress being made within their region. This makes the opportunity particularly relevant to applicants who already have practical experience in youth engagement, social entrepreneurship, community projects, mentoring, sustainable development, advocacy, nonprofit activities or other forms of social impact. Key Responsibilities of an Impact Coordinator Selected Impact Coordinators will take on several major responsibilities during their two-year leadership term. 1. Provide Regional Leadership Impact Coordinators will help organize and mobilize Youth Assembly alumni within the region they represent. This requires maintaining engagement among alumni rather than simply communicating with them occasionally. Coordinators should be capable of encouraging participation, building relationships and creating a stronger regional community of changemakers. 2. Organize Alumni Engagement Activities Coordinators are expected to bring alumni together through regular engagement. Depending on circumstances, this may include: • Virtual meetings; • In-person gatherings; • Networking activities; • Collaborative discussions; • Project-focused sessions; and • Other opportunities that encourage alumni to work together. The broader purpose is to create meaningful collaboration rather than allowing alumni projects to operate entirely in isolation. 3. Help Alumni Turn Ideas into Action An important part of the position involves supporting alumni who have ideas for social-impact projects or initiatives. Impact Coordinators should understand how ideas can be developed into practical projects and should be able to help other young changemakers move through this process. This is one reason AFS is specifically looking for candidates who understand project ideation and who have previously started or participated in successful projects, initiatives or social ventures. 4. Provide Mentorship and Support Impact Coordinators will have an important mentoring function. They will help Youth Assembly alumni navigate the challenges involved in developing projects and generating social impact. Candidates with previous mentoring experience or experience working directly with young people are therefore particularly relevant to the role. 5. Connect Alumni with Resources Successful social-impact initiatives often require more than a good idea. They may require partnerships, mentorship, technical knowledge, networks, visibility or financial resources. Impact Coordinators are therefore expected to understand the youth and social-impact ecosystem and have knowledge of useful resources such as: • Impact hubs; • Youth networks; • Potential partners; • Mentors; • Relevant organizations; • Project-development resources; and • Other opportunities that could assist alumni. The wider Alumni Impact Network itself is designed to connect participants with support mechanisms that include mentorship, expert connections and opportunities for seed funding. 6. Encourage Collaboration Another major responsibility will be connecting Youth Assembly alumni with one another. Instead of individual changemakers working separately on similar problems, the network aims to encourage cooperation, knowledge sharing and partnerships. Strong coordinators should therefore be comfortable bringing people together, facilitating communication and encouraging collaborative action. 7. Track Projects and Progress Impact Coordinators will also help monitor the progress of projects being implemented or supported within their regions. They will communicate relevant updates to AFS staff, helping the organization understand how alumni projects and initiatives are progressing. For candidates interested in international development, project management, monitoring, community engagement or nonprofit leadership, this responsibility provides particularly useful practical experience. 8. Promote Alumni Projects Globally Successful initiatives should not remain invisible. Impact Coordinators will help showcase the projects and achievements of Youth Assembly alumni to a wider international audience. This can increase recognition for youth-led initiatives while allowing successful ideas, experiences and lessons to reach other members of the international AFS community. Benefits of Becoming an AFS Impact Coordinator Although the Impact Coordinator position is a volunteer role, it comes with substantial professional-development, leadership and networking benefits. Full Scholarship to the 2027 Youth Assembly in Geneva One of the most significant benefits is a full scholarship to attend the 2027 AFS Youth Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland. This gives selected coordinators the opportunity to return to the international Youth Assembly environment while continuing their leadership journey within the AFS community. Two Years of Global Leadership Experience Selected candidates will serve as Impact Coordinators for two years. A two-year term provides considerably more opportunity to build meaningful relationships, support projects and demonstrate sustained leadership than a short-term volunteer assignment. International Recognition Impact Coordinators and the projects they facilitate may be highlighted through social networks and other AFS visibility channels. This can help coordinators demonstrate their contributions to social impact while increasing the visibility of the initiatives they support. Leadership and Professional Skills Development The position provides opportunities to practice skills that can be valuable in future academic and professional settings, including: • Leadership; • Project coordination; • Mentoring; • Community building; • Stakeholder engagement; • Communication; • Networking; • Organization; • Teamwork; • Independent working; • Project monitoring; and • Social-impact development. AFS Global Competence Certificate Impact Coordinators will receive an AFS Global Competence Certificate, together with additional training support. The experience can therefore provide both practical leadership exposure and structured professional development. Access to a Global Changemaker Community Impact Coordinators will operate within an established international community of Youth Assembly alumni and changemakers. The Alumni Impact Network exists specifically to encourage regional and international collaboration, mentorship, project development, access to resources and opportunities for alumni to increase their impact. Eligibility Requirements for the Impact Coordinator Opportunity Applicants should review the requirements carefully because this opportunity is not open to the general public. The most important eligibility requirement is previous participation in the AFS Youth Assembly. Previous AFS Youth Assembly Participation Is Mandatory Applicants must have previously attended the AFS Youth Assembly. AFS explicitly states that the Impact Coordinator position is open only to Youth Assembly alumni. Therefore, someone w

• Must be a former participant in a session of the AFS Youth Assembly