Collaborative on Global Children's Issues

Around the world, children and families are carrying the psychological weight of conflict, displacement, climate pressures, and extreme poverty. Most people who need mental health support will never see a specialist, and cuts to international assistance are straining services that were already fragile.

Frontline leaders are responding across practice, research, and policy. Community health workers and lay counselors are bringing psychological support into homes, schools, and health centers. Researchers are partnering with communities to adapt and test interventions that fit local cultures, beliefs, and realities. Policymakers are integrating mental health into primary care, education, and social protection, as well as coordinating national responses during emergencies. Their work shows that mental health care can reach children and families where they are, and that it holds best when it's woven into the systems around them.

In 2027, the Global Frontline Leaders program will bring these innovators together to showcase their approaches, learn across regions, and explore how frontline solutions can strengthen the systems children and families depend on.

Applications for the 2027 cohort are open through November 6, 2026.

Apply now.

Why Mental Health? Why Now?

Mental health is foundational to children's development, care, and protection. It shapes how children learn, how families cope, and how communities recover. Yet it remains one of the most under-resourced areas of global development and one of the most vulnerable when budgets tighten.

Where formal services fall short, families turn to other sources of strength. For many, healing is tied to faith, spirituality, and community—dimensions of care recognized in global MHPSS guidance and often best understood by frontline leaders.

That is why the Global Frontline Leaders program is guided by a simple principle: solutions should be shaped by the people closest to the challenges and strengthened through collaboration across disciplines, sectors, and borders. In mental health, that means centering community knowledge, cultural and spiritual practices, and the leadership of people with lived experience.

Who We Are Looking For

Practitioners, researchers, and policymakers advancing mental health and psychosocial support for children, families, and communities. You might lead a community-based or faith-based program, study what works and why, or shape the policies that determine who receives care. What matters is frontline insight and a commitment to strengthening the systems that sustain care.

At a Glance       

• Duration: 10 months, February–November 2027
• Format: Fully virtual participation from anywhere in the world
• Stipend: $7,500 USD in two installments to support your participation
• Global cohort: MHPSS practitioners, researchers, and policymakers from different regions
• 2027 focus: Mental health and psychosocial support for children and families
• Individual orientation: A personal welcome session in January to learn about your goals and set you up for success
• Monthly workshops: Guest speakers, case studies, and peer learning
• Networking events: Virtual gatherings with peers, Georgetown University faculty, and leaders from UN agencies, NGOs, and/or foundations
• Frameworks: The IASC Guidelines on MHPSS in Emergency Settings and the WHO World Mental Health Report
• Thought partnership: One-to-one mentoring or leadership coaching

The Year Ahead

Over 10 months, the cohort moves from their own contexts to the wider systems shaping children's mental health, and ultimately to the global landscape. Along the way, participants will:

Ground the conversation. Compare how mental health
support works in each country, including the role of culture, faith, and community, and build a shared framework for the year.

Showcase what works. Present their own approaches
alongside promising practices from low- and middle-income countries.

Strengthen the evidence. Explore practical strategies
for assessment and evaluation, and identify the data behind their work and the gaps that remain.

Connect across sectors. Examine coordination among
health, education, social protection, and faith and community actors, including how emergencies can become openings to build care back better.

Map the system. Trace the actors and relationships
that shape mental health care, and find where they can influence change.

Test for resilience. Assess how their system responds
to shocks, and what allows care to continue under pressure.

Write and share throughout. Co-author a paper,
highlighting creative frontline approaches, and present it through a webinar hosted by the Collaborative on Global Children’s Issues.

When the program ends, the connections continue.
Participants join a lasting professional community of leaders committed to the well-being of children and families.

Looking Forward

Across countries and contexts, there is no shortage of
commitment or creativity in supporting the mental health of children and families. What is needed now is connection. If your work is part of that story, we invite you to apply and help shape what comes next.

Apply for the 2027 cohort. 

Frequently Asked Questions​

• General

• What is the purpose of this program?
• The 2027 Global Frontline Leaders program brings together practitioners, researchers, and policymakers who are strengthening mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) for children and families, including through faith-based approaches. The program highlights creative frontline solutions that combine evidence with lived experience and centers the perspectives of children and families.
  
• What are the benefits of the program?
• Participants gain practical expertise from guest experts and receive one-to-one mentoring or leadership coaching tailored to their goals. They learn to see the wider systems around their work and where they can influence change. Together, they co-author a published paper and present it to an international audience through a webinar hosted by the Collaborative on Global Children’s Issues. Participants also join a global network of peers working toward the same goals and receive a $7,500 USD stipend.
  
• How long is the program term?
• The program runs for 10 months, from February to November 2027, with an individual orientation in January 2027.
• Is the program virtual?
• Yes. The program is fully virtual, and no travel is required.
  
• Is the program paid?
  
• Yes. Participants who complete the program receive a $7,500 USD stipend, paid in two installments. Each installment is tied to a program deliverable.
• What happens after the program ends?
• Near the end of the program, participants reflect on their experience and set goals for the future. Graduates then join the alumni community of the Georgetown University Collaborative on Global Children's Issues and remain part of its global network.

• Eligibility

• Who is eligible to apply?
• Experienced practitioners, researchers, and policymakers who are currently working on an MHPSS project are eligible to apply. Applicants must be proficient in English and will be asked to submit test scores unless English is their first language.
  
• What if my project recently ended?
  
• Current MHPSS work is required. If there is a gap in your project, you may request an exemption in your application. Exemptions are reviewed case by case and granted rarely.
  
• Can I work or study during the program?
• Yes. The program is part-time, and participants are expected to continue their MHPSS work throughout.
  
• What if I need an accommodation?
  
• If you need a disability-related accommodation during the application process, please email globalchildfellows@georgetown.edu.

• Application

• How do I apply?
  
• To apply for the Global Frontline Leaders Program, complete this online application. The web address for the form is: bit.ly/FrontlineLeadersApp2027. You will be required to sign in to your Google account, and your email address will be collected automatically with your response.
• When is the deadline?
• Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on November 6, 2026. All materials, including English test scores, must be received by then. We encourage you to apply early.
  
• What do I need to apply?

• You will need your resume or curriculum vitae; your English proficiency test scores, if applicable; information about your current MHPSS project, including your organization's child protection policy; and contact details for three references.

• Do I need letters of recommendation?

• Not at the time you apply. If your application advances, we will let you know before contacting your references, who may be asked to submit a confidential letter or take part in a reference check. Letters should be sent directly to globalchildfellows@georgetown.edu, so please follow up with your references to make sure they submit on time.

• We will notify you before contacting your references. Once we do, we encourage you to follow up with your references to ensure recommendations are submitted on time.
  

• Is there an application fee?

• No. Applying is free.

• Selection

•  How are participants selected?

• Selection takes place in four stages. We first screen applications for eligibility, and then an expert panel reviews them to identify top candidates. Those candidates are invited to a virtual panel interview of about 30 minutes. After the interview, we may contact references for additional information.
  

• When will I hear back?
  

• We expect to notify selected candidates by mid-December 2026.

• Commitments and Expectations

• What is expected of participants?

• Participants are expected to attend the January orientation and the monthly workshops, complete pre- and post-workshop assignments, meet monthly with a mentor or coach, and attend networking events. Over the course of the program, they co-author a published paper with their cohort and present their findings through a Georgetown University webinar.

• Please reach out to globalchildfellows@georgetown.edu with any further questions.