UP Leaders of Tomorrow Fellowship Applications Now Open for 2026–2027

UP Leaders of Tomorrow Fellowship Applications Now Open

for 2026–2027  

 

Are you ready to make your voice heard and create change in your community? Applications are now open for the 2026–2027 UP Leaders of Tomorrow Fellowship, a paid leadership and civic engagement opportunity for young people across Bexar County.

The UP Leaders of Tomorrow Fellowship is designed for young people ages 16–24 who want to better understand how decisions are made and how to influence them. You do not need prior experience in leadership, policy, or advocacy. You just need curiosity, commitment, and a desire to make things better for yourself and your community.

What is the UP Leaders of Tomorrow Fellowship?

The UP Leaders of Tomorrow Fellowship is a nine-month, paid fellowship running from September 2026 through May 2027. Fellows will explore how systems such as education, local government, and public policy impact young people and communities while building the skills needed to advocate for change.

Through hands-on learning, mentorship, group discussions, and real-world experiences, fellows will:

  • Build confidence as civic leaders
    Learn how to speak up about issues that matter to them
    Understand how decisions are made  and how to influence them
    Connect with other young people passionate about making a difference

This program is especially intended for young people who have experienced barriers in education, access, or opportunity and want to help create solutions for their communities.

Fellowship Commitment

Fellows should expect to commit approximately 5–8 hours per month, including:

  • One virtual Tuesday meeting each month (1 hour)
    One in-person Saturday meeting each month (4 hours)
    Optional community events, civic meetings, and youth-led activities throughout the fellowship

Why Apply?

Training, Mentorship & Experiential Learning

Gain practical skills in leadership, civic engagement, advocacy, and policy, no prior experience required.

$2,500 Fellowship Stipend

All fellows will receive a $2,500 stipend to support participation in the program. 

Amplify Your Voice

Share your experiences and perspectives while helping shape conversations and decisions that impact young people and communities across Bexar County.

Continue Your Leadership Journey

Build relationships, strengthen your leadership skills, and gain experiences that can support your future educational, professional, and civic goals.

Who Should Apply?

We encourage applications from young people ages 16–24 who live, work, or attend school in Bexar County, especially those who:

  • Feel decisions are often made without youth voices at the table
    Care about issues impacting their schools or communities
    Want to better understand how change happens
    Have not always had access to leadership or civic opportunities

You do not need to have all the answers, just a willingness to learn, participate, and grow.

Important Dates

  • Application Deadline: July 31, 2026
    Interviews & Selection: August 10–19, 2026
    Fellows Announced: August 21, 2026
    Orientation & Kickoff Celebration: August 27, 2026
    Programming Timeline: September 2026 – May 2027

Apply Today!

This is more than a fellowship, it is an opportunity to grow as a leader, connect with peers, and help shape the future of Bexar County.

Apply Here: bit.ly/UPLeadersApp2026

Applications are due Friday, July 31, 2026 at 11:59 PM CT.

Questions?

For questions about the fellowship or application process, contact Andrea Ramirez, Youth Leadership Manager, at andrea@uppartnership.org.

Powering Future Ready: Building Capacity for Impact

Powering Future Ready:
Building Capacity for Impact  

 

At UP Partnership, we know that improving outcomes for young people in San Antonio requires more than strong programs, it requires strong, sustainable organizations positioned to grow. That’s why our work focuses on strengthening both the quality of relationships young people experience and the capacity of the organizations that serve them. 

That’s why we’re proud to share the results of our co-investment in the Network Support Pilot (NSP), a national initiative led by Catalyst Exchange, a nonprofit that provides organizations across education and the social sector with the tools, expertise and hands-on support needed to drive transformational outcomes. 

Through this six-month pilot, 10 Future Ready Youth Development Organizations (YDOs) strengthened the systems behind their work by building clearer strategies, stronger infrastructure, and more sustainable revenue models. These organizations included Culturingua, Empower House, Healthy Futures of Texas, The Magik Theatre, Students of Service – San Antonio, Girls on the Run Bexar County, SA Youth, Sporti Transforming Lives, First Tee – Greater San Antonio and Youth Orchestras of San Antonio. 

Each organization received a $30,000 investment, co-invested by Catalyst Exchange and UP Partnership, to address their most pressing needs. In total, partners completed 12 capacity-building projects spanning strategic planning, finance, technology and leadership development, walking away with tangible tools and a clearer path forward. 

Through our Future Ready Bexar County strategies, we are scaling developmental relationships so more young people have access to consistent, meaningful connections with caring adults, which is an essential driver of long-term success. At the same time, we are building the capacity of YDOs to advance Future Ready Action Commitments, ensuring they have the infrastructure, strategy, and resources needed to deliver and expand high-impact work. 

The results speak for themselves—100% of organizations met their project goals, and 90% reported high satisfaction with their outcomes. 

This work reflects a core belief: when we invest in the strength and sustainability of organizations, we expand their ability to build meaningful relationships with young people and deliver lasting impact at scale. This pilot reaffirmed that when we invest in organizations serving young people, we invest in young people themselves, creating a stronger future together. 

Excel Beyond the Bell San Antonio partners reconnect in person at the network’s annual summit

Excel Beyond the Bell San Antonio partners reconnect in person at the network’s annual summit

2021 Excel Summit

The weather may have been a little muggy, but the atmosphere was a breath of fresh air at the May 26 Excel Beyond the Bell (EBBSA) annual summit. Held at the Good Samaritan Center, the summit allowed EBBSA partners to gather, talk, laugh, and participate in team building activities. It was a sight not seen since early 2020.

With more than 80 partners in attendance, the event was UP Partnership’s first in-person event since the start of the pandemic.

EBBSA partners expressed a deep desire for reconnecting after experiencing more than a year of disconnection with their colleagues, partners and friends. So, the EBBSA Training and Capacity work group decided it was time to come together again.

The Big Picture: EBBSA is an UP Partnership professional network of youth development organizations working in partnership with local school districts to make San Antonio a place where all young people have access to the tools and relationships they need to succeed. Through the power of data sharing, collaboration, and advocacy the network supports the expansion of youth development programs and access.
The annual brings together its 45 youth development partners to celebrate the wins of the previous year and build relationships to further their mutual goal in strengthening youth development.

From the Field: Partners in attendance ranged from community leaders and youth-serving organizations to educational institutions and youth development programs.

  • Partners gathered together to reconnect and engage in development activities. Many attendees shared that “the opportunity to participate and collaborate together in team activities was a breath of fresh air.”
  • Using Open Space structure, attendees brainstormed ideas, helped each other by sharing best practices, strategized, and connected on a deeper level.
  • This year’s summit also marked the launch of the Excel Academy’s 2021 cohort applications. The Excel Academy focuses on professional development using the Search Institute’s Developmental Relationships framework.

“The Developmental Relationships framework is critical to the work youth development professionals provide to young people. One activity we used at the summit called concentric circles was a way to bring people closer by sharing thoughts and values with each other from philosophical questions that were asked. Many emotions were experienced as I watched people interact: Crying, laughter, joy.”

-liz moseley

Senior Manager of Community Learning

What’s next: As we collectively transition into an “in-person” world again, the EBBSA Annual Summit set a powerful precedent for in-person events in UP Partnership’s near future. The power of collaboration, relationship, and connectivity were on full display at the summit and the partnership looks forward to slowly moving towards having more of these events in the coming months.

Apply to the 2021 Excel Academy

Excel Academy Cohort 2 applications are open between June 1 – July 29 to any EBBSA network partner. In August 2021, 15 agencies will be announced for the second cohort.

Learn more about the Developmental Relationships Framework
Learn more about Excel Beyond the Bell San Antonio

excel beyond the bell logo