Obama Foundation’s Leaders Program 2027

Obama Foundation Leaders Program for African leaders

Updated on 13 November 2026

The Obama Foundation Leaders Program 2027-2028 is a free virtual leadership course for people aged 24 to 45 who are already leading change in their community. The Africa track trains 35 leaders through group sessions, coaching and peer learning.

Aim for 23 November, not 4 December. Applications sent after the priority deadline are reviewed only if places remain. The final deadline is 4 December 2026 at 12:00 PM US Central Time, but it guarantees you nothing.

Provider	Obama Foundation
Format	Virtual, open to residents of Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe and the United States
Who can apply	Mid-career leaders aged 24 to 45, no degree required
Places	35 leaders on the Africa track
Duration	September 2027 to May 2028, 8 to 12 hours per month
Benefits	Free training, group sessions, personal coaching, Obama Foundation Leadership Network
Stipend	None
Deadlines	Priority 23 November 2026, final 4 December 2026 at 12:00 PM US Central Time
Official page	Obama Foundation Leaders Program

Contents

• What the programme covers
• Who can apply
• What to prepare
• How to apply
• Selection timeline
• Mistakes to avoid

What the programme covers

The programme runs on Zoom, from the week of 1 September 2027 until 1 May 2028 at the latest. For the 2027-2028 cohort, the Africa track is fully virtual. An in-person graduation is being discussed, but it is not confirmed.

Expect about four online sessions per month, usually on Wednesdays at 6:00 PM Central Africa Time. That is 5:00 PM in Cameroon and the rest of West Central Africa. Each session lasts one to three hours.

You also get one to two hours of personal coaching per month and a few hours of small-group discussions. In total, plan for 8 to 12 hours per month.

Free is not the same as funded. The programme costs nothing, but it pays no stipend and gives no grant for your project. What you gain is the training, the coaching and membership in the Obama Foundation Leadership Network.

Who can apply

For the Africa track, you must:

• Be 24 to 45 years old on 1 September 2027.
• Be a citizen, permanent resident, refugee or asylum seeker in an African country, or have lived in one for at least the last five years.
• Live in Africa for the whole programme.
• Have at least three years of experience in your issue area.
• Work on issues in Africa, and plan to keep working there.
• Speak professional-level English.

You do not need a university degree. Your leadership role can be paid or voluntary, in government, civil society or business. What counts is the work you do and the results you can show, not your academic record.

Africans living in Europe or America cannot apply to the Africa track. People who have already been Obama Leaders cannot apply again. You also cannot stand for political office between your acceptance and 1 May 2028.

What to prepare

No legalised documents, sworn translations or certified copies at this stage. The official FAQ only asks for two references, and the Foundation contacts them itself. Do not send recommendation letters: they are not accepted.

Before you open the form, prepare:

• A short description of the issue you work on and the community you serve.
• Clear evidence of your impact: people reached, projects completed, results you can measure.
• The names, emails and roles of two references who know your work.
• Your dates of experience, to show at least three years in your field.

Your real costs are time and connectivity. You need a computer with a camera and a reliable connection for sessions that can last three hours. Budget for mobile data or a backup connection if power cuts are common where you live.

How to apply, step by step

• Step 1: read the eligibility rules and the FAQ for your region on the official programme page.
• Step 2: ask your two references for permission, and tell them the Foundation may email them.
• Step 3: draft your answers offline in English, then reread them.
• Step 4: create an account and submit your application on the Foundation's Submittable platform, linked from the official page.

Applying is free on the official site. If you have a technical problem, use the help widget at the bottom of the application page. You may submit only one Leaders application, even if you qualify for more than one region.

See the official page and apply

Selection timeline

9 November 2026	Applications open
23 November 2026	Priority deadline
4 December 2026, 12:00 PM US Central Time	Final deadline, 7:00 PM in Cameroon
July 2027	Decisions sent by email
Week of 1 September 2027	Programme starts
No later than 1 May 2028	Programme ends

The team does not answer individual questions about the status of an application.

Mistakes to avoid

• Waiting for the final deadline: aim for 23 November.
• Forgetting the time zone: the portal closes at noon in Chicago, not at midnight in Africa.
• Listing references who are not ready to respond quickly.
• Applying from outside Africa, or turning 46 before 1 September 2027.
• Describing your passion but not your results.
• Expecting money: there is no stipend and no project funding.
• Missing more than four sessions, which can cost you your Obama Leader status.

For funded study options, see our list of fully funded scholarships for African students and the VLIR-UOS master's scholarships. If you want a degree you can follow online while you keep working, you can also look at the programmes offered by Unicaf.

Read also

• Fully funded scholarships for African students
• VLIR-UOS master's scholarships

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