DRC-Y International

Youth Leadership Academy

The Youth Leadership Academy is an annually training program for Red Cross and Red Crescent (RC/RC) youth volunteers from across the world hosted by Danish Red Cross Youth.

The Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement (RC/RC) consists of more than 15 million volunteers globally — and half of them are young people under the age of 30. In other words, the RC/RC Movement is the world’s largest humanitarian youth movement.

Every year, young Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers from across the world gather at The Danish Red Cross Youth’s Youth Leadership Academy (YLA) — an international training programme and learning space that empowers youth to lead, inspire, and connect.

Check out Youth Leadership Academy 2026

Meet four inspiring young leaders

Vladyslav, Hanna, Aaron and Yang have all taken part in one of our international youth academies. For some, it was their first time travelling abroad or meeting volunteers from other countries. For all of them, it became a journey of personal and professional growth, meaningful connection, and discovering what leadership truly means. This is what they brought home.

Vladyslav from Ukraine: “The Academy changed my life”

When Vladyslav joined the Youth Leadership Academy in Denmark in 2023, he had no idea how profoundly it would impact his life: “The Academy gives you so much: international exchange, practical tools, leadership skills — but most importantly, it helps you understand yourself better. It’s the kind of experience that can change your life. For me, it did.”

Since attending YLA, Vladyslav has taken on major responsibilities — both within the Ukrainian Red Cross and on the international stage: “After the Academy, I returned to Ukraine and became a project manager for two youth initiatives. Now, I'm coordinating projects in five regions, focusing on life skills, conflict management, and youth empowerment initiatives. I also became a speaker at the International General Assembly in Geneva, where I shared our experiences of supporting volunteers in emergency regions, alongside representatives from China and Palestine.”

What stayed with him most was the feeling of connection: “This kind of international experience shows you that you’re not alone — that there are volunteers like you in Lebanon, Malawi, or Myanmar. It was a warm and open space where people felt safe enough to share difficult personal stories. That kind of empathy and connection can’t be learned from a book.”

Hanna from Ethiopia: “YELL taught me that I could be a leader”

Hanna joined YELL in 2023, when the workshop was held in Nairobi, Kenya. For her, it was an experience that opened many doors: “It was my first time participating in a training like this. Before the academy, I had never taken on a leadership role in an organization like the Red Cross. But after participating, I realized I had the capacity to lead.”

Since YELL, Hanna has taken on several new responsibilities in her volunteer work: “After I joined YELL, I was elected as the youth chairperson in the Addis Ababa Branch of the Ethiopian Red Cross Society. Since then, I’ve led many initiatives and campaigns, including resource mobilization, food distribution to hospitals, and youth clubs.”

For Hanna, there is no doubt that academies like YELL play a vital role in developing young leaders: “YELL helps young volunteers realize their potential. If I hadn’t joined YELL, I don’t think I would be a youth leader today. It motivated me, and I want to show my community that young people can lead. That’s why programs like this are so important.”

Aaron from Uganda: “I’ve learned more during YLA than in four years as a volunteer”

Aaron Onyede Ogwang is the General Secretary of his Red Cross district in Uganda and coordinates university youth clubs nationwide. He came to Denmark in 2025 with a hunger to learn — and YLA delivered: “Being part of an international network like this is powerful. For example, I realized that many African National Societies face similar issues – when I heard someone from Sudan or Kenya speak, I could relate directly. We really have so much we can share and learn from each other. I’ve learned more during this time at YLA than in the last four years in the Red Cross. It’s truly been life changing.”

What surprised him most was discovering new perspectives on leadership: “I’ve gained so many new perspectives, especially about leadership. I discovered that I’m a very goal-oriented person and use to think everything must go according to the plan, no matter what. But I learned that as a leader, I also need to be more adaptable. Sometimes the plan fails, and you must adjust. That was a big realization for me.”

Aaron is now launching a Sprint-based youth project in Uganda.: “I used to think only big wins mattered, but now I understand the importance of starting small. That’s why I’ve already made a plan with a colleague to start a youth corner back home. We’ll start with just one room and an internet connection. That’s it. From there, we’ll grow.”

Yang from China: “YELL gave me the confidence to lead”

Yang joined the YELL academy in Nepal in 2023 and describes it as a true turning point in her professional and personal journey: “It was such a meaningful experience — truly a milestone for me. It was not just about learning skills; it was about living the slogan of the Red Cross Movement: “Youth can do more, do better and reach further”. I feel like the academy gave me the platform and the confidence to live that out.”

After YELL, Yang was elected Chair of the Asia Pacific Youth Network and later became Commissioner on the IFRC Global Youth Commission: “The academy played a direct role in my professional development. It gave me the structure and strength to take on new leadership roles. It was a platform that allowed me to grow and provided the leadership foundation I needed.”

Yang also highlights the importance of the friendships and social connections she made during YELL: “Becoming part of this global Red Cross family has been one of the most inspiring parts. It gave me strength, structure, and motivation as a young leader. The social connections are powerful — it’s not just networking; it’s a feeling of being part of something bigger.”

It builds up the Red Cross spirit amongst youth from the entire world. It is very great to get to know people from other countries, to learn from their experience and to ask for their advice.
- Viktoriia, Ukrainian Red Cross, participant at Youth Leadership Academy 2022

Youth leadership across borders

The purpose of the Youth Leadership Academy is to build strong youth leaders within the RC/RC movement who can stand out as role models and agents of change. Youth leaders who can initiate and lead humanitarian activities for and with youth within their National Societies and in their local communities. Young leaders and volunteers in the RC/RC movement represent both the present and the future leadership in today’s world marked by crises, uncertainty, and an increase in humanitarian challenges.

Each year the program of the Youth Leadership Academy is designed in a way where the participants explore several topics. The training varies between formal sessions and non-formal training methods that combine innovative group work and draws upon participants’ experiences and existing projects. All of this in an international learning environment with other participants from across the RC/RC Movement where cultural encounters and sharing of experiences plays a key component in creating the unique learning space of the Youth Leadership Academy.

We know that the RC/RC youth volunteers have great potential to be leaders in the movement and beyond and are proud that many alumni of the Youth Leadership Academy are still engaged within the RC/RC movement and have excelled to become even more important volunteer leaders or staff today.

For me it was the first time to meet so many youths from other countries. I reached out to some of them afterwards to get advice from them afterwards. If I ever need any information from any country I can always reach out to the people from there. Even though I don’t talk to them often, I know that they got my back.
- Eneless, Malawi Red Cross, participant at Youth Leadership Academy 2021

Who can participate at the Youth Leadership Academy?

The Youth Leadership Academy targets young volunteers at the age of 18-30 years from across the global RC/RC Movement who are committed to being role models and take on leadership in their National Societies.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the Youth Leadership Academy, please reach out to us on drcy-yla@urk.dk.