The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of East Asia and Pacific Affairs (EAP) and U.S. Consulate General Auckland announce an open competition to implement Young Pacific Leaders (YPL) Solutions Labs, a series of workshops centered around the following U.S. foreign policy priorities in the Pacific region:
· Unlocking Investment in the Pacific
· Advancing the American Decade of Sports for Pacific Economic Impact
· Pursuing Peace in the Pacific with Faith Communities
· Promoting Digital Freedom and Open Information Environments
Applicants may apply to host one, more, or all of the YPL workshops in the series with the average cost of one workshop being roughly $100,000 to $250,000.
Since 2013, the YPL program has cultivated the target audience and participants of emerging Pacific Island Country (PICs) leaders ages 20-40 into advocates for U.S. policy in a region of increasing strategic importance. Since YPL’s inception YPL alumni have delivered on U.S. priorities across the region. The YPL Solutions Labs will be a series throughout 2026-2028 to catalyze advocacy and action on U.S. priorities.
The YPL Solutions Labs will build on past YPL programs that advanced U.S. foreign policy priorities in the Pacific region, namely previous conferences, workshops, exchanges, YPL alumni-led projects, community service activities, and digital engagement.