Giving Tuesday with AMP Global Youth: Invest in Youth Who Are Ready to Lead
Posted OnDecember 2, 2025 byThis Giving Tuesday, fuel the leadership, vision, and voices of young people. Help us meet our 2026 fundraising goal of $8,000 – and ensure that young people don’t just dream of change, but lead it.
At AMP, we don’t see youth as just potential. We see them as partners: powerful, capable, and ready to lead. Since 2002, we have worked with young leaders who are passionate about social justice, climate action, mental health, global equity, and more. Through our Global Scholar programs and leadership pipeline, we help youth translate passion into power – and anxiety into action.
The Trust Gap Is Real. Youth Leadership Is the Response.
Young people are coming of age in a moment defined by distrust: in institutions, media, leadership, and even the future itself. We’re living through an era of record youth anxiety, global disconnection, and democratic backsliding.
- Trust in government is at a 50-year low [22%] – down from 77% in 1964 (Pew, 2024).
- In the United States, less than 22% of youth trust the federal government, while only 31% of youth trust the media to report fairly (Harvard Youth Poll, 2025).
- 69% of college students say they hold back their views for fear of backlash (Teen Vogue, 2024).
- Youth of color report feeling consistently underserved by philanthropy, education, and policy institutions (Financial Times, 2025).
- And, social isolation is at a crisis point. The World Health Organization has declared loneliness a public health epidemic. Researchers show that disconnection drives both democratic decline and mental health risk.
Yet – 92% of youth believe in free speech, human connection, and collective action (Gallup, 2024). They care deeply. They’re engaged. But too often, they’re told to wait.
At AMP, We Don’t Ask Youth to Wait. We Equip Them to Lead.
AMP was built for this moment. We create bold, responsive, and youth-led civic experiences where participants don’t just participate, they co-design the solutions we need next. We believe youth leadership is rooted in trust, connection, and shared power. By fostering meaningful relationships, courageous conversation, and skills in global citizenship, we equip youth to:
- Understand and challenge the structures around them
- Collaborate across backgrounds and beliefs
- And, lead with compassion, clarity, and urgency
A Generation That Will Shape What Comes Next
As the U.S. prepares to mark its 250th birthday in 2026, one question matters most: Who will write the next chapter? Will it be the same institutions that have fueled disconnection and distrust? Or a generation raised on imagination, integrity, and the urgency to act?
In 2026, AMP aims to train new youth leaders who are:
- Trusted as co-creators of civic life
- Leading solutions for complex global challenges
- Reweaving the relational and civic fabric of their communities
- Holding institutions accountable through compassionate, collaborative leadership
- Leading with vision, voice, and deep care for the world around them
Yet, this work doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It happens because of you – our volunteers, alumni, parents, educators, staff, and everyday champions who believe youth deserve more than broken promises and performative panels.
Whether it’s $5 or $500, your donation directly:
- keeps programs affordable for participants
- funds scholarships
- expands digital accessibility
- supports paid alumni leadership positions
- and ensures youth lead with trust, connection, and impact
The world tells young people to wait their turn, to stay quiet, and to leave the real decisions to adults. We say the world’s biggest problems can’t wait and this generation is more than ready to lead. Our programs are designed around a simple premise: A more just, joyful, and sustainable world requires youth at the center, not the margins.
So this Giving Tuesday, help us meet our goal to raise $8,000 for Global Scholar 2026, to expand youth access, and scale our leadership pipeline in time for America’s next great turning point.