University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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Catawba College
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North Carolina State University
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University of North Carolina at Asheville
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North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
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Boston University
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Boston College
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University of California Merced
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University of Michigan
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University of Tennessee Knoxville
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Dartmouth College
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New England College
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University of New Hampshire
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Clemson University
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University of Virginia
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Arizona State University
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University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ● Catawba College ● North Carolina State University ● University of North Carolina at Asheville ● North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University ● Boston University ● Boston College ● University of California Merced ● University of Michigan ● University of Tennessee Knoxville ● Dartmouth College ● New England College ● University of New Hampshire ● Clemson University ● University of Virginia ● Arizona State University ●
Who We Are
Let Us Lead is a youth-driven organization that focuses on providing leadership skills, civic education, and empowerment. Our goal is to ensure young people have everything needed to bring changes into their communities.
Decisions that influence our future are often made by people who do not realize the consequences of their decision. At Let Us Lead, we believe that young people should not only sit at the table but also take leading roles there.
We empower young leaders to create meaningful change in their communities by addressing civic challenges, tackling local issues, and collaborating to develop impactful solutions.
What is Let Us Lead?
Our Mission
Our mission is to educate, equip, and empower young people to become informed, engaged leaders who advocate for themselves and their communities.
We achieve this through:
Twice-annual, 10-week fellowship programs where young leaders develop individual and collaborative projects to address community challenges.
Voter registration and civic engagement initiatives.
Career development and alumni networking opportunities in political science, public service, and beyond.
What We Stand For
At Let Us Lead, our educational work is guided by a commitment to equity, opportunity, and dignity for all. We focus on issues that directly impact the lives and futures of young people.
Reproductive Freedom
Recent polling shows that 64% of voters ages 18–29 support abortion access in most or all cases. For many young people, reproductive healthcare is viewed as essential to personal freedom, economic stability, and educational opportunity. At our Let Us Lead x Planned Parenthood South Atlantic x Men4Choice event in Fall 2025, we mobilized 100+ young people to advocate for reproductive freedom (pictured).
Economic Growth
Economic concerns are increasingly shaping young people’s priorities, especially since 2024. With over $1.7 trillion in U.S. student loan debt, rising housing costs, and nearly 45% of young adults living with parents due to financial constraints, many are seeking pathways to stability and opportunity. Let Us Lead supports young people through professional development, mentorship, and community-building opportunities during our 10-week fellowship cycles.
Environment
Environmental change remains a major concern for younger generations, with 70–80% of young people reporting worry about climate change. Having grown up amid increasing extreme weather events and environmental uncertainty, Gen Z and younger millennials view climate policy as a defining issue. Let Us Lead is committed to exploring partnerships with climate-focused organizations and adopting more sustainable practices, including reducing unnecessary physical communications.
Gun Control
Young people have lived through an era of devastating mass shootings, including school shootings that directly threaten their safety. Active shooter drills are routine in American schools. About 75% of Americans aged 18-29 support stricter gun laws. Let Us Lead fellows at North Carolina State University teamed up with NC Safe, an organization dedicated to gun safety to promote good gun practices across Raleigh, NC.
LGBTQ+ Rights
Younger generations are significantly more likely to identify as LGBTQ+ than older cohorts, recent data suggests around 20-28% of Gen Z identifies as something other than heterosexual, compared to about 10% of millennials and far lower percentages in older generations. They're more likely to have LGBTQ+ friends, family members, and classmates. Let Us Lead is committed to giving LGBTQ+ people the opportunity to succeed by partnering with intentional organizations such as OutVote, EqualityNC, and the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund.
Education
Saddled with unprecedented student debt and facing questions about the value of higher education, young people care deeply about education policy. They want affordable college, better K-12 funding, and education that prepares them for modern economies. Many also support alternatives to traditional four-year degrees. As Let Us Lead is an education and civic training program, we take feedback to our methods seriously and implement regular changes to our curriculum to best fit the times.
Healthcare
Young adults aged 19-34 have the highest uninsured rates of any age group, around 15-17%. Many have aged off their parents' insurance and face coverage gaps. Mental health is a particular concern, with rates of anxiety and depression significantly higher among young people than previous generations at the same age. About 90% of Gen Z reports experiencing stress-related physical or psychological symptoms. They support healthcare reform because they're directly experiencing system failures. Let Us Lead offers paths for fellows interested in healthcare fields to connect with health policy experts to make real change.
Immigration
Young people are the most diverse generation in American history, with roughly 50% of Gen Z being non-white. Many are immigrants themselves or children of immigrants. About 70-75% of young adults believe immigrants strengthen the country, compared to lower percentages among older generations. As this country was founded by immigrants, Let Us Lead will stand up for our immigrant brothers and sisters. On New England College’s campus, Let Us Lead fellows hosted a “Know Your Rights” event to share best practices in tough immigration instances.
Youth Rights
Despite their high engagement on the issues at hand, young individuals continue to feel politically disenfranchised. The voter turnout rate for those between 18 and 29 years old is rising but remains lower than that of other demographics (about 50% in 2020). Many youth advocates push for the minimum age to be lowered for voting, since it makes sense for those affected by such issues to be included in their creation. Let Us Lead was born to help close that power gap.