Deadline: December 15, 2025
Applications are open for the UNICEF Canada Youth Advocacy Program 2026. The UNICEF Canada’s Youth Advocacy Program is a 10-month online program that helps young people learn the skills and knowledge needed to become powerful advocates and activists in Canada.
This program is designed for young people aged 13–24 who are passionate about advocacy, activism, and creating meaningful change. It’s ideal for those who want to learn the step-by-step process of developing an advocacy plan, understand their legal rights as advocates, and discover how to effectively influence decision-makers.
Topics Covered
The curriculum will explore the following themes:
- Self-care
- Advocacy 101
- Your rights
- How to Develop an Advocacy Plan
- Deciding what you want to advocate for and who you need to influence
- How governments work (role of Ministers, role of the House of Commons and the Senate/Legislature, mandate letters, the legislative process)
- How to engage people who can influence decision-makers
- How to talk to people in government about the issues you are passionate about
- Communicating about an advocacy issue and raising awareness
- Other topics identified by youth participants
Benefits
The program provides:
- Opportunity to learn more about advocacy, your rights, the government decision-making process, and how to become powerful advocates and activists to improve the lives of young people across Canada
- Opportunity to connect with diverse young people from across Canada
- Opportunity to learn from youth and adults who have successfully advocated for change in their communities and for vulnerable children and youth around the world
- Opportunity to be involved in UNICEF Canada advocacy initiatives advocating for children’s rights domestically and internationally
- Opportunity to develop your own advocacy plan based on your advocacy interests
- Opportunity to engage directly with decision-makers about the issues you are passionate about
- Opportunity to collaborate with, teach and learn from others in a participatory environment
UNICEF Canada will provide a certificate of completion to participants who complete the program by attending all core sessions. Upon completion, you will be invited to join an alumni network where you can keep in touch with your peers to share advocacy initiatives, strategies, and support each other in the future.
Eligibility
They welcome applications from young people who are:
- Ages 13-24
- Living in Canada
- Passionate about learning or further developing their advocacy knowledge and skills
- Able to commit 2-5 hours per month from February to December
Application
The curriculum will be delivered online over Zoom. The sessions will be interactive and engaging, using participatory, youth-centred engagement methods to facilitate multi-generational dialogue and maximum participation by all participants. Scheduled sessions will be complemented by the opportunity for young people to self-organize through small group work and virtual meet-ups.
For more information, visit UNICEF Canada Youth Advocacy Program.
