Over four days this summer, high school students toured the Port of Savannah, explored the Okefenokee Swamp, met healthcare professionals in Albany and learned about the state’s agriculture at the University of Georgia’s Tifton campus. Along the way, they explored careers, met community leaders and gained a deeper understanding of the state they call home.

Experiences like these are fueling record interest in Youth Lead Georgia, a leadership development program of the UGA J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development. The program, now in its third year, celebrated a milestone this summer that reflects its growing impact. The 2026 cohort received 569 nominations and 374 applications, a 66% increase from the previous year.

Through a partnership with Chick-fil-A, YLG offers a yearlong cohort and an annual statewide summit to help high school students cultivate leadership skills, explore college and career pathways and better understand the communities, industries and opportunities that shape Georgia.

Leadership beyond the classroom

Each fall, 30 sophomores and juniors are selected through a competitive nomination and application process to join the yearlong Youth Lead Georgia cohort. Participants attend four weekend leadership sessions hosted in communities across Georgia and complete a four-day educational bus tour.

This June, the 2026 cohort traveled across the state, gaining firsthand exposure to Georgia’s economy, environment and workforce. Students toured the Capricorn Sound Studios and Museum in Macon, the Port of Savannah, UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant on Skidaway Island, the Okefenokee Swamp, Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital Inc. in Albany, the UGA Tifton campus, Dickey Farms and Cooley Farms.

At each stop, participants strengthened their leadership skills through interactive learning experiences, meaningful discussions and new connections with peers, professionals and leaders from across the state.

For Georgia Johnson, who calls Houston County home, the visit to Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital expanded her understanding of careers in healthcare.

“Experiencing and learning more about the healthcare field at Phoebe Putney allowed me to open my perspective about opportunities for the future,” she said.

Following the bus tour, cohort members gathered in Athens in mid July for leadership programming focused on college readiness, professional development and educational opportunities at UGA.

A statewide network of young leaders

The summer concluded with the 2026 YLG Statewide Leadership Summit, which welcomed 175 rising high school juniors and seniors, including current cohort members, to UGA.

Students from across the state participated in leadership workshops, networking activities and discussions about issues facing Georgia’s youth while exploring opportunities available through higher education.

“I decided to apply for the YLG Summit because I believed that doing a program such as this would help develop my leadership skills, assertiveness, independence and a stronger desire to understand what I am capable of,” said Tanzion Mwanjabala, who lives in Gwinnett County.

Since the program’s launch in 2024, the youth summit has served 440 students representing 133 Georgia counties.

“Our goal is to have 159 students, representing every county in Georgia, at the summit. This allows youth from all corners of the state to sit side-by-side and talk about the issues impacting students everywhere,” said Lauren Healey, Youth Lead Georgia program lead.

For Maci Blue of Johnson County, the statewide connections were one of the biggest draws. She first learned about the summit through a friend in 4-H, a national youth development organization.

“I applied because I felt it would be a good experience for me to extend out my comfort zone and to meet people from all over the state,” she said.

Meeting a growing need

The program’s record number of nominations and applications reflects a growing demand for youth leadership development opportunities that connect students with experiences beyond the classroom.

“As the program enters its fourth year, we look forward to reaching even more students and expanding opportunities to prepare even more young leaders to address challenges, embrace opportunities and make a lasting impact in their communities,” Healey said.

For students seeking opportunities to lead, Youth Lead Georgia is meeting that demand by helping them better understand the state they call home and the role they can play in shaping its future.

Nominations for the YLG 2027 cohort are being accepted through Aug. 14 at https://youthleadgeorgia.org/nominate/.