Paynesville, Liberia — Young people in Liberia have a new route into climate leadership. YUGNet–Liberia has opened its Green Ambassador Programme, a training programme that runs from 23 November to 31 December 2026 at the YUGNet Training Academy in Paynesville City, with a mandatory orientation on Saturday, 21 November 2026.
According to the programme’s application call, the programme is designed to strengthen youth leadership, environmental awareness, practical skills and community action. Training will be delivered in a hybrid and in-person format, so participants can join both on site and online.
Key facts
- Programme: YUGNet–Liberia Green Ambassador Programme
- Dates: 23 November to 31 December 2026
- Orientation: Saturday, 21 November 2026 (mandatory)
- Venue: YUGNet Training Academy, Paynesville City, Liberia
- Format: Hybrid and in-person
- Partners: ActionAid Liberia, EPA, Green Cities and YUGNet Training Academy
- Application: Submitting the application is free; shortlisted applicants receive instructions for a programme fee of 25 US dollars
What participants will learn
The programme will equip participants with knowledge and practical experience in environmental sustainability, climate action, waste management, environmental reclamation, community mobilisation and youth advocacy, according to the application call.
That mix matters because it connects classroom learning with work in the community. Waste management and reclamation, for example, are everyday climate issues in towns and cities, while mobilisation and advocacy help young people turn a local project into wider change.
Partners behind the programme
The call names ActionAid Liberia, the EPA, Green Cities and the YUGNet Training Academy as partners. The partnership has a track record: ActionAid Liberia has previously reported that its work with the Youth Go Green Network (YUGNET) in Gbarpolu County helped young people set up eco-clubs in five schools and spread knowledge about deforestation, improper waste disposal and open burning.
That earlier work was carried out under a partnership project supported by ActionAid Liberia. It shows the same network-and-partner model now being used for the Green Ambassador Programme, with training feeding directly into school and community activity.
Why youth leadership matters in Liberia
Young people are often the first to carry new practices home. In the Gbarpolu example reported by ActionAid Liberia, trained young people returned to their communities to raise awareness about environmental protection, climate change and sustainable agriculture, and some began growing food themselves.
A structured ambassador programme builds on that pattern. It gives participants a shared vocabulary, practical skills and a network, so local action does not depend on one enthusiastic individual alone.
How to apply
The application call invites motivated young people to apply. Submitting the application itself is free, and applicants will be reviewed, with eligible candidates shortlisted. The call states clearly that shortlisted applicants will receive instructions for paying the programme fee of 25 US dollars, and that applicants should not send any payment when submitting the initial application.
The call does not publish an age limit or a closing date, so interested young people should apply promptly and attend the mandatory orientation on 21 November if selected.
COP31 context
The programme opens just days after COP31, the UN climate conference taking place in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9 to 20 November 2026, where governments are expected to focus on implementing existing climate commitments. Training a new cohort of young ambassadors as the conference closes underlines a simple point: international agreements only matter when communities can put them into practice at home.
Readers interested in another opportunity for young climate leaders can read about the fully funded CEPS Climate Leadership Programme in Brussels here: CEPS opens climate leadership programme for eight young climate leaders.
Conclusion
The Green Ambassador Programme is a modest, practical offer: six weeks of training, a clear set of skills and a community role at the end of it. For Liberia’s young people, that combination — knowledge, practice and a network — is exactly what turns climate concern into climate action.
