Young Leaders for Peace

UPEACE Young Leaders for Peace (YLP) is a summer programme dedicated to empowering high school students with the knowledge, skills, and experiences needed to become effective peacebuilders in their communities and beyond. Through an immersive, two-week summer programme at the UPEACE Headquarters in San Jose, Costa Rica, participants will explore the multifaceted nature of peace, engage in hands-on learning, and connect with the natural environment to understand the vital link between peace, leadership, and sustainability.

YLP aims to foster a generation of empathic, informed, and socially responsible leaders who will advocate for and practice peace in their daily lives, contribute meaningfully to international peace initiatives, and inspire others through their commitment to nonviolence and compassionate dialogue. From taking courses at the top of a protected forest in San Jose to coffee farm visits and hiking excursions this programme is designed around experiential learning to instill the building blocks of peace as a practice and way of life. At UPEACE, we recognize that having fun and building life-long friendships are also crucial components of peace and leadership development.

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About YLP

YLP is a two-week immersive summer experience for high school students, specifically rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors across the U.S. Participants will travel to UPEACE Headquarters in San Jose, Costa Rica where they will explore the local campus, community, and natural environment.

The programme will be intensive, fun, interactive, and experiential. Participants will learn the basic tenets of peace and peacebuilding and will be introduced to the interplay between peace, leadership, and the environment while exploring the extraordinary landscape of Costa Rica.

Some activities to expect include, but are not limited to, seminars and workshops with experts in the field of peacebuilding, teambuilding and leadership exercises, group reflection circles, visits to sustainable farms, beach and hiking excursions.

YLP 2026 will run June 14-28 and is now accepting applications here!

Our Story

Young Leaders Vail Brokaw and Sasan Korangy were motivated to start Young Leaders for Peace because they want to be prepared to navigate the global challenges and conflicts facing their generation. Eager to learn the tools and skills necessary to build a more peaceful world, they saw UPEACE as the perfect setting to create a summer programme specifically designed for high school students and their leadership development. In collaboration with UPEACE Headquarters and the UPEACE NY Mission, Sasan and Vail have guided and supported the creation of this exciting, innovative programme, first launching in Summer 2025.

YLP Structure

Duration: 2 weeks

Dates: June 14-28, 2026

Format: 10 interactive, experiential sessions Monday through Friday of Week 1 and 2 facilitated by UPEACE faculty, staff, and counselors. Workshops, seminars, and journaling sessions will allow participants to capture their personal growth and share how their understanding of leadership and peace has evolved through YLP by identifying key moments of learning that impacted them. Participants will also have a weekend beach visit. Regular meals, breaks, and allocated time for rest will be embedded in the daily agenda to promote the importance of play, balance, and participant autonomy.

Programme Itinerary

2026 itinerary coming soon! Stay tuned!

Week 1: Foundations and Core Topics in Peace and Leadership

In the first week, participants will:

Develop a comprehensive understanding of positive leadership, peace and conflict dynamics, and learn practical tools for nonviolent communication and conflict resolution.
Foster skills in social innovation, integrating cultural and emotional intelligence to enhance community development and practice inclusivity in diverse settings.
Engage in guided brainstorming sessions to generate ideas for social innovation projects that address community challenges, and practice role-playing and perspective-taking to foster active listening, empathy, and understanding within all participants’ leadership styles.

Weekend: Environmental Stewardship Excursion

Over the weekend, participants will enjoy beach-based excursions that:

Develop their understanding of sustainability on a local and global scale, and promote everyday practices for environmental care, especially as it relates to sustaining Costa Rica’s natural environment.
Engage in a community service beach cleanup, an educational workshop on environmental stewardship with community partner, One Sea, as well as supervised, freeform time at the beach.

Week 2: Application and Reflection

In the second week, participants will:

Develop an understanding of sustainable agriculture and biodiversity, and recognize how agroecological practices contribute to community well-being.
Apply sustainable practices in the Costa Rican environment, synthesize learning into an actionable leadership and peace plan, and reflect on and celebrate individual and collective growth.
Engage in experiential learning activities such as guided exploration of local agroecological farms, hands-on application of sustainable agriculture practices, and visualization exercises to capture personal leadership goals and aspirations.

Where You’ll Stay

Participants will enjoy peaceful and secure housing at the UPEACE campus for the duration of the two-week programme, with counselors residing on-site as well. Cabin units are equipped with their own bathroom, a kitchenette, and two beds. Additional details about housing arrangements and counselors will be shared upon acceptance.

If you would like more information, please contact the programme organizers at ylp@upeace.org.

Eligibility + Additional Criteria

Applicants must be currently enrolled high school students (e.g., rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors at the time of the programme in June 2026). Applicants should demonstrate an interest in peace, but are not expected to have previous peacebuilding experience on their resume.

Applicants must also confirm that they will provide proof of all necessary vaccinations, personal health insurance, and a valid passport in order to secure their spot in the YLP 2026 cohort. No exceptions will be made. These requirements will be included in the parental authorization packet emailed to the applicant’s parent/guardian upon application submission.

Programme Costs

The cost per participant is $7,000 USD. This amount includes housing, all meals, on-site first aid and minor health consultation, activities and excursions, and travel within Costa Rica including airport shuttle service.

Please note that programme cost does not include health insurance or travel to/from Costa Rica. Securing personal health insurance and airfare is the financial responsibility of the participant. Proof of personal health insurance will be requested from all accepted participants in order to secure their spot in the YLP 2026 cohort.

How to Apply

Application requirements include:

a statement of interest
a short personal video
resume
proof of enrollment
one letter of recommendation from a teacher, supervisor, or similar individual who can speak to the applicant’s qualifications for YLP.

Upon acceptance, participants will pay a competitive fee to attend (see Programme Cost).

YLP 2026 will run June 14-28.

Apply Now!

Young Leaders for Peace in Action

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