The Tibetan Youth Leadership Program (TYLP) is a unique week-long leadership development program organized by the International Campaign for Tibet in Washington, DC for Tibetan-American college students. It will be held from Saturday, June 2 to Saturday, June 9, 2018.

Are you interested in becoming a leader within the Tibetan community? Are you interested in the US political process and discourse around foreign policy vis-à-vis China and Tibet? The TYLP is designed to motivate and train young Tibetans to become effective leaders within the Tibetan community by providing meaningful exposure to the US political process and the discourse around foreign policy in the American capital. Through workshops, discussions and hands-on activities, participants will develop and sharpen their leadership skills. The program is a starting point for greater involvement as knowledgeable and responsible actors within the Tibetan community worldwide and is specifically geared to meet the need to carry the Tibet movement forward in the United States.

The participants will engage in discussions with distinguished professionals working on foreign policy issues in Washington, DC, including in the US Congress and the State Department. They will learn about the role of activists, lobbyists, think-tanks and the media in influencing foreign policy in Washington. And beyond this, the TYLP will provide each participant a rich environment for exchanging information and ideas and building a network of future leaders in the Tibetan community.

Quick Facts

Dates: June 2 – June 9, 2018
Place: Washington, DC
Number of Students: 10 Tibetan-American Students
Eligibility: Applicants must be residents of United States of America and currently enrolled in a graduate or undergraduate program in the United States.
Cost: Room, board, special activity and transportation costs are paid by program scholarships through the generosity of ICT supporters.
Deadlines: Application period is open until midnight Monday, April 2, 2018

Timeline for Applicants

Early April: Applications under review
Mid April: Candidates will be notified by email of the decision
Late April: Final selections will be announced
To Apply:

  1. Write an essay (800 words) – “What it takes to be a leader in the Tibetan community”
  2. Complete the Application Form
  3. Submit Biography, and any supporting documentation demonstrating academic achievement and/or leadership potential
  4. Email your complete application Att: Tencho Gyatso to [email protected]
  5. All applications should be emailed no later than Monday, April 2, 2018

Tibetan Youth Leadership Program
International Campaign for Tibet
1825 Jefferson Place, Washington, DC 20036

View a typical TYLP in Washington DC:


Read about it from a participant’s perspective here:

Please contact Tencho Gyatso at [email protected] if you have any questions.

About ICT

The International Campaign for Tibet is a not-for-profit advocacy organization working internationally to promote human rights and democratic freedoms for the Tibetan people. ICT has offices in Washington, DC, Amsterdam, Berlin, and Brussels, and partners with the Australia Tibet Council and UK Tibet Society. Please visit our website at www.https://savetibet.org for more information.