Lead 250
Fellowship

Applications for LEAD 250 are OPEN! Join us for a virtual info session on Tuesday, September 16 at 5 PM ET - register here.

About the Program

Democracy House and the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge invite college and university students to apply for the Leadership, Engagement & Action for Democracy (LEAD) 250 Fellowship, a new civic fellowship program focused on nonpartisan democratic engagement in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

On July 4th, 1776, the U.S. Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of this historical milestone and represents a unique, once-in-a-generation chance to launch impactful projects to understand our past and imagine our future. For 250 years, Americans have strived to realize, question, or broaden our founding vision, and the LEAD 250 Fellowship is an opportunity to engage in this work.

Join us for an info session on 
Tuesday, September 16 at 5 PM ET!

LEAD 250 Fellowship
participants will:

  • Join a cohort of peers from across the U.S. who care about democracy and are working to strengthen democracy in their communities.

  • Develop and enact a project in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. 

  • Participate in monthly cohort meetings in 2026 and receive: 

    • Project support

    • Leadership development

    • Skills training

    • Up to $500 in project funding

  • Receive a certificate upon completion of the program and be part of an alumni community.

ELIGIBILITY
REQUIREMENTS:

  • Be a Democracy House program alumni and/or part of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge Honor Roll.

  • Be enrolled at an educational institution in 2026 (Graduation dates of December 2026 or later preferred). 

  • Have a project idea (all participants will receive support in developing and enacting their idea). 

  • Be able to commit to ~10 hours of work per month, consisting of 5-7 hours of project work/month and ~3 hours of cohort meetings. 

  • Have access to technology for cohort and independent project work and attend cohort meetings with sound and camera on.

PRIORITY DEADLINE: Sunday, September 21, 2025
Final Deadline: Tuesday, September 30, 2025

We hope you can join us to learn more about this exciting new program. If you have any questions, please reach out to info@democracyhouse.org.