Young Leaders Program - Practicing Democratic Dialogue Together
El Sistema Greece
Greece
Since 2020, the Young Leaders Program (YLP) of El Sistema Greece has brought together around 15 adolescents annually from Greek, migrant and refugee backgrounds in a structured youth leadership pathway. Each year, a new cohort engages in workshops, creative practice, internships and decision-making roles, while alumni often return as Senior Leaders, strengthening continuity and peer mentorship. Participants engage in dialogue, active listening, giving and receiving feedback and collaborative problem-solving. The programme cultivates confidence, empathy and leadership through lived experience.
The Young Leaders Program (YLP) is the youth leadership pillar of El Sistema Greece, a non-profit organisation that since 2016 has used collective music education to foster social cohesion and intercultural dialogue, working with young people experiencing social exclusion and displacement.
Each year, a cohort of 15 adolescents aged 13–19 from Greek, migrant and refugee communities engages in a structured cycle of workshops, creative practice and internships. Through communication and feedback training, collective improvisation, orchestra conducting sessions, public presentation roles and participation in organisational decision-making, participants practice active listening, constructive disagreement and shared responsibility.
In a context of growing polarisation, YLP operates as a structured dialogue space where diversity becomes collaboration and leadership is developed through real engagement. Alumni return as Senior Leaders, reinforcing peer-led continuity.
With the support of Up Grants 2026, the programme will conduct a structured impact study (Impact Framework) to evidence its transformative impact on participants’ confidence, agency and democratic dialogue skills.