Registration is open for youth ages 18-32 with a proven track record of leadership experience, school, or community involvement and are interested in global affairs, sustainable development, and youth issues.

The Youth Assembly will be held on August 12-14, 2022 in New York City. It will be an in-person event. If the organizer cancels the in person event due to Covid-19 pandemic or other events beyond its control, the organizer may, at its discretion, hold the event virtually. 

AFS Intercultural Programs Inc. spearheads every session of The Youth Assembly in 2022 with the support and partnership of notable organizations and companies. In previous years, Friendship Ambassadors Foundation has organized the event. 

The Youth Assembly will be hosted at the Convene at Brookfield Place in New York City, NY, USA. This premier conference center will be the perfect space to welcome hundreds of young leaders from around the world in the heart of Manhattan, New York steps away from attractions like the World Trade Center and Oculus. 

The Opening Ceremony venue will be announced in the coming weeks.

Delegates who upgrade their Youth Assembly experience with one of the Program Packages will also get to deepen their experience through a series of seminars, organization site visits and exclusive special events including:

• Participation in a Model UN Simulation,
• A tour of the United Nations, including Permanent Missions to the UN,
• Hands-on social impact learning at the University of Pennsylvania campus followed by certification by their Center for Social Impact Strategy,
• Cultural activities, like a Manhattan Boat Cruise, or a tour of the cultural and historic highlights of Philadelphia, a UNESCO World Heritage City; and more.

Face masks will be required during the entirety of the event. 

All attendees must abide by NYC public vaccination requirements for indoor public activities: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/covid/covid-19-vaccines-keytonyc.page. In addition, all international attendees must abide by the US Department of State and CDC vaccinations requirements for entering the USA: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/noncitizens-US-air-travel.html

According to the UN, the definition of youth is “more fluid than other fixed age-groups.” Various organizations have their own definition of youth. At The Youth Assembly, we do not have a strict definition of youth, but have defined a certain age range for who is considered a “Delegate” for our program planning purposes. A Delegate should be between the ages of 18-32 at the time of application. 

Due to capacity there is an extremely limited number of spaces for people applying as Observers (for participants over 32 years of age). If you are applying as an Observer please indicate your motivation for attending on your application for review. Please note due to limited space we will only be able to accept a small number of Observers to attend the Youth Assembly.

The Applicant Questionnaire will be used to evaluate your application. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and will be evaluated based on the applicant’s work or involvement, achievements, and interest in sustainable development.

You don’t have to! You can apply directly to the Program Packages, it will include the conference. Delegates who are accepted for the Program Package have full admission and access to Conference (27th Session of The Youth Assembly).

If you have already submitted an application form for the Conference option but wish to sign up for the Program Package, you can choose the upgrade option on the Program Package application form. 

To expedite the application/registration process, we suggest applicants decide between the Conference option and the Program Package option before applying, as upgrading may slow down the application/registration process. 

Please note that any upgrade or change to the application/registration will only be accommodated before June 30, 2022. 

Upon submission of the form, you will receive an auto-response email. Submission of the registration form does not automatically guarantee acceptance. A refund will be issued to registrants who did not meet our eligibility requirements. 

Package registrants will receive a reservation confirmation after paying the first registration fee, and after being selected will be instructed to make the 2nd installment fee payment within 8 weeks of being accepted.

Please note that international applicants who are based outside the United States are responsible for obtaining their own visa to travel to the US. Contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate to find out how. Acceptance to The Youth Assembly does NOT guarantee the issuance of a visa or admission into the United States. Visa issuance is entirely contingent on U.S. Embassies’ and Consulates’ discretion. Admission into the United States is contingent on U.S. Customs and Immigration Authorities’ discretion at the point-of-entry.

Please also note that the organizers’ (AFS Intercultural Programs) responsibility is limited only to supplying an invitation letter. AFS cannot make personal phone calls or requests on your behalf to specific Embassies or Consulates. Intervention with the diplomatic and consular affairs by a host organization is not possible, and reliance on such phone calls may slow your application process or decrease your chances of obtaining a visa.

​​Due to the pandemic, many countries have longer than usual wait times for interview appointments at U.S. embassies. Generally, delegates apply for B-2 visas (tourism). Please consider investigating wait times for embassy interviews before applying to the Youth Assembly:

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/wait-times.html

We suggest applicants check local organizations and associations, such as the Lions or Rotary clubs in their area, for sponsorship opportunities. Former delegates have found that a search through the internet, academic scholarships, and local and national sources can also be a source of subsidy and support.

You can also utilize our fundraising guide, which provides suggestions to help with self-funding efforts.

All events at The Youth Assembly are carried out in English. Interpretation services (including sign languages) may be arranged with an external agency at a cost to the participant. For inquiries, please contact us via the website.

Generally, event facilities are wheelchair accessible, but this cannot be guaranteed. We suggest the participant bring a caregiver/companion with him/her throughout the event. Delegates requiring special accommodations may contact the AFS to inquire more information.

Yes, your companion will also need to register for the event. Discounted fee may be offered to the companion/caregiver once their information is verified. 

Unfortunately, failure to complete the payment by the indicated deadline will result in your application and registration being withdrawn. If you need more time, you may request an extension. However, extension requests will only be approved on a case-to-case basis and with possible increased/late fee.

In an effort to promote diversity in all its forms, AFS is pleased to introduce a Delegation Program for the 27th Session of the Youth Assembly. Interested applicants are required to fill out the Delegation Program Interest Form. This form will be reviewed, and a determination will be made on the group’s registration eligibility. Qualifying groups will receive an email with instructions on how to complete registration of its delegates. Please note that a Delegation must have 5 or more members.

No. Program Packages have different participation Terms and Conditions, especially regarding cancellation policy. Please read all Terms and Conditions carefully before applying. 

No. Participants who sign up for the Conference option with an administration fee of $295.00 (early-bird, rates change after early-bird) are responsible for their own travel arrangements, including accommodation, meals, flight, airport transfers, and visa application fees.

Participants can choose to sign up for the Youth Assembly Program Packages option, which includes accommodation, some meals, and learning, networking opportunities, as well as the conference. The Youth Assembly Program Package requires the Program Package fee (varies depending on the type of the package). Package participants who request double occupancy accommodation will be assigned roommates with the same gender. If you wish to learn more about the Program Package and its refund policy, please read the terms and conditions.

The Registration Fee is non-transferable and, except as provided in the terms, it is non-refundable in the event of cancellation by the Participant for any circumstances and reasons whatsoever.  These circumstances and reasons may include, but are not be limited to, application withdrawal by applicant, registrant cancellation, medical condition, or denial of visa application with U.S. embassies. Please read the terms and conditions here.

The Registration Fee is non-transferable and, except as provided in the terms, it is non-refundable in the event of cancellation by the Participant for any circumstances and reasons whatsoever. These circumstances and reasons may include, but are not be limited to, application withdrawal by applicant, registrant cancellation, medical condition, or denial of visa application with U.S. embassies. Please read the terms and conditions here.

You will receive a formal admission email, which you will need to present to the Youth Assembly Representative during check-in (before the conference formally starts). Please expect to receive updates from time to time regarding the check-in information and conference agenda, as well as many exciting opportunities for the participants. 

If you have applied for a visa, please notify us first about its status on or before June 30, 2022. You will receive your formal admission email once you have confirmed your visa status.

Early bird registration admission fee is $295 till March 9, 2022 (11:59 pm EST). The regular registration admission fee will be $365 and will begin on March 10, 2022 (11:59 pm EST). The late registration admission fee will be $405 on June 3, 2022 (11:59 pm EST). Applicants are advised to apply as early as possible to avoid paying a higher fee. All applicants admitted during this time will be Delegates of the Youth Assembly.

Please go to the Program Package page. Review all Program Package application instructions, terms and conditions and fill out the application form to request upgrade. Select “Yes, I’ve already filled out an application and would like to make an upgrade” on the application form. We will be able to assist you with your upgrade request as soon as we receive your application form for the Program Package.

Please note, upgrade or change to the application/registration will only be accommodated before June 30, 2022. 

All events at The Youth Assembly are carried out in English. Additionally, all applications must be submitted in English.

Unfortunately, if you would like to switch to the Conference only, your registration for the Program Package will be canceled and the appropriate cancellation fees will be applied according to the program package terms & conditions. You will have to re-apply by submitting the application form and the administration fee for the conference only. Thus, we advise you to make the selection carefully before you sign up.

The cost information is available under each Program Package site. To book a Program Package, accepted applicant will be required to pay:

• Package registrants may pay in 2 installments. The 1st installment of $295 (or the fee relevant to that registration phase) per person at the time of application. This payment is required to process the registration and reserve a space for the Program Package.
• The 2nd installment for the remaining balance payment of a selected Program Package within 8 weeks of your initial application. This payment is required to complete the registration and receive admission to the Program Package.

Yes. Packages cannot be purchased without the hotel portion. Even if you are a New York resident or have family/friends in the area, you are still subjected to the same registration fee as international delegates. Staying at the same place provides delegates with more opportunities to engage and network with each other, which benefits the overall experience.

Please click here to get an overview of the activities included in the Program Packages. Find out more about Program Packages in general here, or explore each Package at:

• International Affairs, August 10-15, 2022
• Changemakers, August 12-17, 2022
• Educators, August 11-15, 2022
• Premier, August 10-17, 2022

All packages include the Youth Assembly.

The Program Package cost is collected by AFS Intercultural Programs (the organizer), in order to cover the costs of administration, service arrangement, and management of the event, which include but are not limited to staff support, service arrangements such as lodging, transportation, meals, venues, supplies, logistics, programming, security requirements, and other event service related costs.

Please note that the United Nations, US embassies, Permanent Missions or any of AFS program partners are not in any way involved in the Youth Assembly Program Package application or registration processes.

In the event of cancellation, the 1st installment is non-refundable as the fee is collected to cover AFS’s administrative cost for reviewing, processing of applications, issuing documents, and reserving services from vendors. A proportion of the 2nd installment may be refunded if cancellation is made per the refund policy. Please carefully read the detailed refund policy in the terms and conditions.

We advise registrants to update us on their visa application status by the payment deadline. In case a visa has not been granted by the deadline, we suggest registrants to not submit the remaining balance payment to avoid a high cancellation fee in case of visa denial. We are not able to reserve the slot of an accepted applicant if complete payment is not received by the deadline, and a cancellation notice will be sent to registrants. However, we will do our best if there is still space available to resume an applicant’s registration when they obtain a visa and are ready to submit the balance payment before the event. Please note that the 1st installment will not be refunded under any circumstances.

Your parent/companion must register in order to gain access to the event. 

Due to a large number of participants, food restrictions and special diets cannot be accommodated in the meal offerings included in the Packages. Please note that meals may only be included in the Packages special events.