The mission of the Zorig Foundation is to advance democracy in Mongolia by nurturing a strong civil society. The Zorig Foundation and Zorig Foundation/US believe that to achieve that mission, they must build on and assist public education organizations that teach the meaning and practice of citizenship in a democracy. Major funding for the Young Leadership Program (YLP) comes from the Zorig Foundation/US which is a US based non-profit organization promoting democracy in Mongolia.

The YLP which began in the fall of 2003, has been providing young Mongolian college graduates an opportunity to develop leadership and management skills as well as expand their knowledge of the social, economic and political issues affecting their country. The Foundation believes that to grow as leaders, we must each grow as a person. Leadership development is a process of self-development and the YLP assists our young Mongolian citizens to start down the path of self-development and achievement.

Each year, up to 20 enterprising young Mongolians between the ages of 22 and 25 are selected to participate in a rigorous eight-month program that includes the introduction and practice of leadership skills in the areas of communications, analytical thinking, project planning and implementation and team building. Their activities are designed to include real world experiences and exercises as well as classroom discussion and debate. Additionally, the participants are given an introduction to social, business and political issues of national and global importance. Many of the learning sessions are supported by leading businesses and experienced professionals from the local community, as well as foreign subject matter experts.

A highlight of the YLP year is the Community Development Project that the young leaders plan and implement as part of their training. Each class is divided into teams and given initial guidance in setting goals and preparing project plans for carrying out an activity that supports their local community. Each team competes to define the best activity and to plan and manage the implementation of their project. Final written and oral reports are submitted at the end of the program year and awards are given out to the teams. This project not only acquaints the participants with some of the social issues facing their community but also enables them to improve communication skills, to practice team building and to learn basic project management techniques.

All necessary information is on the official website of the Young Leadership Program: http:\\www.ylp.mn