Call for Project Proposals: 2026 Indigenous Youth Fellowship ($2,500 – $5,000 USD awarded depending on the scope of the project)

Ednah Carrick September 7, 2025

0 1,337 2 minutes read

Closing Date: 30 September 2025

Call for Project Proposals: 2026 Indigenous Youth Fellowship ($2,500 – $5,000 USD awarded depending on the scope of the project)

Indigenous Youth Building Resilient Communities

Cultural Survival is pleased to announce the 2026 Call for Project Proposals for the Indigenous Youth Fellowship program. This initiative aims to strengthen cultural identity and enhance leadership skills among Indigenous youth. Since its launch in 2018, the program has awarded over 157 fellowships, positively impacting more than 350 Indigenous youth worldwide.

The fellowship provides financial support for youth-led projects that benefit Indigenous communities, along with opportunities for leadership development. Fellows are encouraged to amplify community voices and bring attention to local issues within global dialogues through their projects.

Indigenous Youth Fellowship Details

Award Amount: $2,500 – $5,000 USD (depending on the scope of the project)
Project Duration: between 3 and 6 months
Execution Period: March – September 2026

Eligibility Criteria

This year’s fellowship will support Indigenous youth (individuals or groups) leading multidisciplinary, creative, and community-driven projects.

Applicants must:

Be an Indigenous youth or group of youth between the ages of 18 and 28
Be committed to working with Cultural Survival and meeting deadlines
Be preferably fluent in or interested in learning an Indigenous language
Not a former Cultural Survival Youth Fellow

Fellows will work closely with Cultural Survival staff and a local mentor, who will voluntarily offer guidance, encouragement, and feedback throughout the project. Geographic diversity will also be considered in the selection process.

Eligible Regions for 2026

In addition to the global open call, Cultural Survival especially welcome applications from the following regions:

The Americas: with a focus on Costa Rica, Panama, Honduras, El Salvador, Belize, Argentina, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, Chile, Paraguay, Brazil, and Guyana.
Asia: with a focus on Bangladesh, Mongolia, Indonesia, Nepal, the Philippines, and India
Africa: with a focus on Chad, Cameroon, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, DRC, Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Uganda, and Angola.

Project Proposal Requirements

Be 3–6 months in duration and implemented during the March–September 2026 execution period
Focus on one or more of the following themes:
- Climate Change Solutions
- Culture and Languages
- Lands and Livelihoods

Eligible activities may vary depending on the theme and can include capacity building, workshops, structure building, multimedia and media projects, or other forms of community engagement and knowledge sharing.

How to apply

Submit a proposal concept through the Google Form by September 30, 2025, at 11:59 PM ET. Selected applicants will be notified via email by October 30, 2025, with instructions to submit a full proposal and detailed budget for the second round. Final fellowship selections will be announced in December 2025, and the award disbursement process will begin in January 2026. Projects may begin anytime after March 1, 2026.

Please ensure that the email address provided in your application is valid, regularly checked, and that your inbox is not full. Applications cannot be edited once submitted.

Applicants also have the option of submitting a 5-minute video or audio recording in response to the questions on the form. This can be uploaded directly within the same Google Form.