Sec. 304. Support for young leaders initiatives
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The term eligible young leader means an individual who— is between 18 and 35 years of age; has demonstrated strong capabilities in entrepreneurship, innovation, public service, or leadership; has positively impacted a community, organization, or institution; and may be a member of an underserved, marginalized, or underrepresented population in his or her home country. The Secretary is authorized to establish regional young leaders initiatives to build the capacity of eligible young leaders in areas that may include business, social entrepreneurship, civic leadership, public administration, energy and environment, science and technology, education, global health, peacebuilding and co-existence, good governance, anti-corruption, promotion of democracy, and other areas by— offering professional development, training, and networking opportunities; providing training to promote economic growth and improve capacity in strategic sectors; and identifying additional ways to connect alumni of these initiatives to United States public and private resources and institutions and strengthen ties with the United States.
The Secretary is authorized to award fellowships to eligible young leaders under programs established pursuant to subsection (b). Not fewer than 25 percent of fellowships awarded under this subsection shall be allocated to members of an underserved, marginalized, or underrepresented population in the relevant country. There is established in the Department of State a Young Leaders Academic Fellows Program, through which students from partner countries shall be brought to the United States to build practical expertise, leadership skills, and professional networks.
The Secretary may award fellowships under the program established under subparagraph
(A)to eligible individuals based on— citizenship and residency in a partner country; status as a full-time undergraduate student or a recent graduate of a college, university, or other institution of higher learning; and any other criteria that the Secretary considers appropriate. There is established in the Department of State a Young Leaders Professional Fellows Program, through which professionals from partner countries shall be brought to the United States to build practical expertise, leadership skills, and professional networks. The Secretary may award fellowships under the program established under subparagraph
(A)to eligible individuals based on— citizenship and residency in a partner country; status as an emerging leader in government, civil society, or the private sector; current employment and 2 or more years of professional work experience; and any other criteria that the Secretary considers appropriate. The Secretary or the Administrator shall establish regional leadership centers to offer training to eligible young leaders. Such centers shall be established in South Asia, the Middle East, and in any other region that the Secretary considers appropriate. The Secretary or the Administrator shall oversee all United States-based activities carried out under any of the programs established under this section. The Secretary shall continue supporting young leaders programs operating as of the date of the enactment of this Act, including— the Young African Leaders Initiative; the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative; the Young Pacific Leaders; the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative; and the Young Transatlantic Innovation Leaders Initiative. Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary or the Administrator shall submit a plan to the appropriate congressional committees for the implementation of each of the programs authorized under subsection
(b)or (c), which shall include— a description of clearly defined program goals, targets, and planned outcomes for each year and for the duration of the program; a strategy for monitoring and evaluating the program and progress made toward achieving such goals, targets, and planned outcomes; and a strategy for ensuring the program— is promoting United States foreign policy goals in each respective region; is clearly branded; and is paired with robust public diplomacy efforts. The Secretary and the Administrator, in coordination with the heads of other relevant Federal departments and agencies, may carry out this section by partnering with the private sector— to pursue public-private partnerships; to leverage private sector expertise; to expand networking opportunities; and to identify funding opportunities and fellowship and employment opportunities. Assistance agreements entered into by the Secretary or the Administrator to carry out this section shall include provisions to promote domestic resource mobilization and cost-sharing, as determined necessary and appropriate by the Secretary or the Administrator, as appropriate.