UNC
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Catawba College
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NCSU
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University of North Carolina at Asheville
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NCA&T
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Boston University
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Boston College
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University of California Merced
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UMD
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University of Michigan
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University of Tennessee Knoxville
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Dartmouth
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New England College
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University of New Hampshire
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Clemson
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University of Virginia
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Arizona State University
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UNC ⚪ Catawba College ⚪ NCSU ⚪ University of North Carolina at Asheville ⚪ NCA&T ⚪ Boston University ⚪ Boston College ⚪ University of California Merced ⚪ UMD ⚪ University of Michigan ⚪ University of Tennessee Knoxville ⚪ Dartmouth ⚪ New England College ⚪ University of New Hampshire ⚪ Clemson ⚪ University of Virginia ⚪ Arizona State University ⚪
Who We Are
Let Us Lead is a youth-led organization dedicated to leadership development, civic education, and community empowerment. We exist to ensure young people have the knowledge, tools, and confidence to lead meaningful change in their communities.
Too often, decisions that shape our future are made without the voices of those who will live with the consequences the longest. At Let Us Lead, we believe young people deserve more than a seat at the table - they deserve the opportunity to lead.
Through education, training, and hands-on engagement, we support young leaders as they grow their understanding of civic systems, community issues, and the power of collective action.
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 these goals through:
twice annual 10 week fellowship
voter registration
connecting alumni to future careers
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
According to recent polling, about 64% of voters aged 18-29 support abortion being legal in most or all cases. This generation came of age after Roe v. Wade and sees reproductive healthcare as essential to economic stability and personal freedom. For young women especially, access to contraception and abortion services directly impacts educational and career trajectories. At our Let Us Lead x Planned Parenthood South Atlantic x Men4Choice event in Fall 2025, we mobilized 100+ young people with a call to action for reproductive freedom (as pictured).
Economic Growth
Economic concern is growing for young people, especially in the years since 2024. Student loan debt in the US exceeds $1.7 trillion, with the average borrower owing around $28,000-$38,000. Additionally, young adults face housing affordability crises, with homeownership rates for people under 35 dropping significantly compared to previous generations. About 45% of young adults report living with parents due to economic constraints. We care intensely about job opportunities, wages, and economic policies that help us achieve the financial milestones our parents reached more easily. Let Us Lead is dedicated to supporting young people by providing professional development opportunities and connection building during our 10-week cycles.
Environment
Environmental change is viewed as a major threat by younger generations who will live with its consequences the longest. Surveys consistently show 70-80% of young people are worried about climate change, with many experiencing climate anxiety. They've grown up with increasingly severe weather events, rising temperatures, and scientific warnings about tipping points. For Gen Z and younger millennials, environmental policy has been a talking point for the entirety of their lives. Let Us Lead is interested in partnering with climate-forward organizations and offers easy opt-outs for physical communications, in hopes of better climate practices.
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. Having experienced education during COVID-19, they're also attuned to issues around educational equity and access to technology. 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 high engagement on these issues, young people often feel politically marginalized. Voter turnout among 18-29 year olds, while increasing in recent elections (reaching around 50% in 2020), still sharply drops behind older age groups. Many young activists push for lowering the voting age, arguing that people most affected by policies like climate change and education should have a voice in creating them. Let Us Lead was created to close the gap in power and stands up for that mission daily.