Youth4Energy Champions is a regional fellowship empowering young professionals in Latin America and the Caribbean to become specialized, employable leaders in the clean energy transition. The program addresses critical gaps in skills, access, and opportunity—moving beyond symbolic youth inclusion toward strategic youth leadership.

The 4-month fellowship, launching March 2026, will train 100 participants from across the region through monthly modules on energy systems, governance, innovation, digitalization, and labor transformation. The Top 10 fellows will advance to an elite track featuring international visibility, mentorship, and employment pathways, culminating in representation at OLADE Energy Week 2026 in the Dominican Republic.

Currently in early development with a core team of 2–5 members, the program is funded through donations, prizes, and grants with a diversified model including institutional partnerships, corporate sponsorships, and in-kind contributions.

Expenses: Program coordination, expert facilitation, digital platform management, communications, participant engagement, and logistics for the elite track.
Challenges: Securing stable multi-year funding, ensuring equitable participation across diverse countries with varying digital access, and bridging the gap between youth talent and formal labor markets.
Vision: To become the leading regional platform for youth leadership in the energy transition. Long-term plans include expanding annual cohorts, deepening industry partnerships, formalizing employability pipelines, establishing a strong alumni network, and developing specialized tracks in emerging areas such as hydrogen, energy storage, and digitalization.

Inspired by the belief that the energy transition requires prepared human capital, Youth4Energy Champions is designed as a scalable, replicable model prioritizing gender inclusion, regional diversity, and interdisciplinary participation—cultivating a generation of professionals capable of contributing strategically to the transformation of energy systems.