Obama Foundation’s Leaders Program 2027/2028 for Emerging Leaders Worldwide

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Obama Foundation’s Leaders Program 2027/2028. The Obama Foundation Leaders Program is an eight-month, global virtual leadership development journey. Designed for changemakers aged 24 to 45 across various sectors, the program brings together diverse cohorts to collaborate, share insights, and strengthen their values-based leadership. The program is open across four regions and free to all participants.

Obama Foundation’s Leaders Program Mission

They bring together cohorts of global leaders with various viewpoints and engage participants in exploring the challenges, opportunities, and skills needed to create positive change. We provide the tools and the community necessary to turn a shared commitment into a lifetime of impactful service. Upon completion of the program, Leaders will become part of the Obama Foundation’s Leadership Network: a growing community of civically active alumni developing tangible solutions to today’s greatest challenges.

Program Details

For an average of 8-12 hours per month, the program will bring together cohorts of leaders from across the regions. Participants (known as “Obama Leaders” or “Leaders”) will take part in weekly sessions that include:

Practical tools and training for deepening values-based leadership
Curated spaces for deep personal reflection and interpersonal learning with peers
Community groups
Conversations with thought leaders
Leadership coaching
Cultural programming that showcases the richness of diversity in the region

Obama Foundation’s Leaders Program Benefits

The Obama Foundation Leaders program supports changemakers from the public, private, and civil society sectors to deepen their impact, explore values-based leadership, and drive lasting systems-level change.
For 8–12 hours per month, the program connects cohorts of leaders across regions through virtual group sessions, collaborative peer-led spaces, and individualized coaching to build a values-driven foundation for sustained leadership.

Programs By Region

Africa
- Leaders Africa is a six-month, virtual leadership development program that seeks to build a growing network of innovative and values-based changemakers who will drive positive change in their communities, the continent, and the world.
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Asia-Pacific
- Leaders Asia-Pacific is an eight-month hybrid leadership program that helps leaders develop their values-based leadership to advance inclusive and lasting change in their communities, in the Asia-Pacific region, and across the world.
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Europe
- Leaders Europe is an eight-month, virtual leadership development program that seeks to inspire, empower, and connect leaders to advance inclusive and lasting change in their communities, throughout Europe, and across the world.
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United States
- The Obama Foundation Leaders USA program is an eight-month, virtual leadership development program that seeks to inspire, empower, and connect leaders across the country.
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Eligibility Criteria

Across the spectrum of diversity, the program endeavor to identify applicants and invite Leaders to the program who:

Possess a clear issue of focus and can describe or measure their impacts.
Hold a leadership position in their changemaking work, whether full-time or volunteer (there are no leadership rank or title requirements).
Demonstrate a deeply ethical, values-based, equitable, and collaborative approach to leadership.
Demonstrate a willingness to learn from and share with other Leaders in a group setting.