Atlanta & Local Affairs
Registration for Fulton County’s CONNECTED Youth Leadership Program closes at 11:59 p.m. Monday, September 28. The county runs the program with the nonprofit 21st Century Leaders. It pairs leadership development with career exploration and hands-on activities over a full academic year.
Who can apply
According to the county’s announcement, applicants must be enrolled in high school, live in Fulton County and have access to a device with Wi-Fi. A virtual orientation is scheduled for Thursday, October 1. Families can apply through the county’s program page at fultoncountyga.gov/CYLP. Questions go to Dionne Ferrell, the county’s youth coordinator, at dionne.ferrell@fultoncountyga.gov. Because the deadline falls tonight, students who still need to apply should check the eligibility requirements and finish the online application well before midnight rather than waiting until the final hour.
The county says participants can earn gift cards of $25 to $100 and technology prizes, and that juniors and seniors may be eligible for paid summer internships. The announcement does not list a cost to participate.
Why it matters for the job market
Programs like this sit upstream of hiring. They can shape whether a young person understands different occupations, builds professional contacts and gains the communication and planning skills that make later internships and jobs easier to reach. A year-long program also gives participants more chances to test their interests than a single career talk.
The internship opportunity is the most direct link to paid work. For employers, youth programs can build early awareness of industries that struggle to attract applicants.
What to watch
The announcement does not report placement rates from earlier cohorts, and participation itself is not a job outcome. The program’s value will depend on what participants do next, whether that is internships, credentials, college or jobs connected to the careers they explored. For families, the immediate issue is tonight’s deadline and the October 1 orientation.
Sources
- Fulton County Government, “CONNECTED Youth Leadership Program (CYLP) Returns in Partnership with 21st Century Leaders,” September 16, 2026. https://www.fultoncountyga.gov/News/2026/09/16/CONNECTED-Youth-Leadership-Program-CYLP-Returns-in-Partnership-with-21st-Century-Leaders
Featured photo: The Fulton County Government Center in downtown Atlanta. Fulton County runs the CONNECTED Youth Leadership Program with 21st Century Leaders. Photo: Warren LeMay, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0). Cropped from the original.
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