SELECTION AND PROGRAMME 2026-27

YLP 2026-27

• Do you have what it takes to be a Young Leader?

• Are you passionate about solving your community and societal problems?

• Are you ready to challenge yourself intellectually, physically and morally?

Our Moon is happy to announce the launch of our applications for our 2026-27 Young Leaders Programme. We are inviting recent Grade 12 leavers (who completed high school either in 2025 or 2024) who have 6-8 points in your best six subjects (with mainly 1s and 2s), come from financially-disadvantaged households (your families would be unable to afford for you to go to university without substantial support and you would be at risk of dropping out), and want to make a difference in society.

We are looking for students with a wide range of academic interests. Mostly, we want students who yearn to learn, have an open mind, have the potential to lead, are good team players, and are passionate about making a difference in the world.

If this sounds like you, then please continue reading...

ABOUT OUR PROGRAMME

Our Moon’s Young Leaders Programme is a university and life preparation course. It is an intensive, full-time programme lasting approximately 18 months. It combines a challenging academic programme with volunteering and community service, learning how to look after your physical, mental and spiritual health, and internships.

All attendees have gone on to universities around the world to study a wide variety of subjects. They all have a sincere desire to give back to their communities, and are actively involved in projects, work or studies that further this goal.

On our programme, you will:

• Learn how to lead through participation in community service projects

• Develop team work skills by volunteering within Our Moon and within our community

• Learn basic and more advanced IT skills

• Discover yourself through our Identity and Expression course

• Research your academic passions and write a 4000-word essay on a global issue seen through a Zambian lens

• Develop your critical reading and writing skills

• Improve your English grammar and punctuation

• Prepare for SATs and Duolingo English Test

• Apply to universities around the world that share our ethos, and for associated financial aid

• Gain employability skills through projects, internships and/or entrepreneurship opportunities

• Learn how to look after your physical, mental and spiritual health

What are the criteria to becoming a Young Leader?

• 6-8 points in best six subjects (mainly 1s and 2s)

• From a low-income home (unable to go to university without sustantial external financial support)

• Commitment to community service and volunteering

• Ability to follow and comply with instructions

• Demonstrate potential to lead

• Enthusiasm!

• All applicants are expected to have achieved a high academic standard and must have completed high school in Zambia. We would typically expect students to have gained between 6-8 points from six out of eight subjects (with mainly 1s and 2s) in their Grade 12 ECZ exams.

• We expect all students to be from low-income families who cannot afford our programme, or to go to university within Zambia, without full financial support and would be at risk of dropping out even with a 100% loan. We run an ethical programme; any student found to be lying about their financial situation will be immediately dismissed.

• All accepted students will be expected to withdraw from any other university preparation programmes and make themselves available for full time study on our programme. All accepted students will be expected to be fully committed.

• When participating at Our Moon's residential site in Chibombo, Our Moon will provide tuition fees, food, accommodation, internet and learning materials. We have a house parent who looks after the safety of the students and night watch people who patrol our grounds at night. We have perimeter fencing and lighting - we take your safety very seriously. When studying from home, Our Moon will provide data to ensure you can get online.

Meet Mercy and her mum

Please watch these videos from Mercy, one of our alumni studying at Vanderbilt University, and her mum, who tell you why they love Our Moon!

Meet Ireen's Dad

Watch Ireen's dad talk about the change he has witnessed in his daughter since she joined the young leaders' program.

Interviewing Brenda

Listen to Brenda talk about her experience during her time on the Young Leaders Programme.

Interviewing Maxwell

Listen to Maxwell talk about his experiences during his time on the Young Leaders Programme.

​SELECTION FOR YLP

The selection for the Young Leaders programme ( YLP) comprises four stages:

STAGE 1: ONLINE APPLICATION

Follow the instructions on the form. We need the information from you exactly as we have asked for it. There are some short essays for you to write. Please make sure you look at our website to find out as much as you can about our programme and ask questions in our WhatsApp group - you can join it by clicking here.

We then ask about your family's financial situation. We ask you to provide information firstly about your nuclear family and then request information about your household. The two are often different. We have asked you to produce, with the help of your parents/guardian, your household income and rent for one month.

At the end, we ask you to sign a declaration. Please ensure you understand what you are signing for. It is very important that all the information contained in the form is true. Then you should ask one of your parents or guardians to sign that they agree to you making an application. You can upload a photograph of their signature or thumb print.

THE DEADLINE FOR STAGE 1 IS 5 MARCH AT 23:59 CAT - BUT PLEASE SUBMIT AS SOON AS YOU CAN TO BE SURE OF AN INTERVIEW

If you successfully pass Stage 1, you will be invited for an onine video for a volunteering assessment and your approach to what you hope to gain from coming to Our Moon.

STAGE 2 WILL TAKE PLACE BETWEEN 17 FEBRUARY AND 10 MARCH

STAGE 2: ONLINE VOLUNTEERING ASSESSMENT

STAGE 3: FINAL IN-PERSON BOOTCAMP

​Shortlisted applicants will be divided into two groups and invited to three-day conferences at Our Moon's site in Chibombo for interviews so we can assess your suitability for our Young Leaders Programme.

STAGE 3 WILL TAKE PLACE BETWEEN 14-22 MARCH

YLP 2026-27 WILL START AT THE END OF MARCH IN CHIBOMBO

TIMETABLE FOR 2026-2027

• 26-31 March - YLP orientation in Chibombo for new Young Leaders

• April - Start Identity and Expression programme, intensive study, introduction to research essays. Students will also be introduced to fitness, community service, cooking and invited to apply for Our Moon community roles.

• May-August - Continue studying, introduce SATs, IT skills, maths tuition, writing research essays and community service projects

• July - Visitors to Our Moon, second year student graduation.

• September - start university applications

• October-December - SATs, completion of research essay and start Coursera courses

• Early December - Return home to complete university applications and prepare for internships

• Christmas and New Year's - Break while still progressing university application.

FIRST YEAR

SECOND YEAR

• January/February for 3-6 months - Internships and/or projects and/or entrepreneurship opportunities, while progressing university applications and continuing online learning

• April 1 - Many university decisions are out

• June - Predeparture orientations

• July - Graduation in Chibombo and becoming an Our Moon Alum!

• August/September - Depart university*

  * University offers are not guaranteed and universities in different countries have differing start dates

Stage 1 Application

PLEASE COMPLETE THE APPLICATION PROCESS BY USING THE FORM BELOW BY 5 MARCH AT 23:59

PLEASE SUBMIT AS EARLY AS YOU CAN TO ENSURE IF INVITED, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO BOOK YOUR INTERVIEW

If you have any questions, Brenda and Ireen will answer your questions and post the answers in the Frequently Answered Questions forum. Go to Forum

Good luck!