YES Akademia is a global not-for-profit NGO with headquarters in Paris, that transforms youth from urban and rural communities through informal education, leadership trainings, social entrepreneurship programs and intercultural exchange trips into globally competitive leaders of positive change in their lives and communities. Partner countries since 2012 are Senegal, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Tunisia and India. YES Akademia (YAKA) empowers youth aged 15 to 35 years old from urban and rural neighborhoods in Paris and other cities around the world. YAKA extends the positive, empowering messaging from the homes of YAKA youth into the outer world. We provide youth with the tools and self-confidence to resist the negativity of their surroundings, become agents of change in their neighborhoods, and begin laying the groundwork for success in college and career. YAKA views each youth as a potential leader. The personal attention of a dedicated mentor, the structured educational environment, and the international cultural exchange form a powerful combination that helps participants discover and develop their latent leadership skills. YAKA’s programs directly help improve the lives of the youth participants and indirectly those of their families as well as their communities. YAKA alumni demonstrate increased rates of graduation and college enrollment and increase self-confidence. 30% of alumni work as volunteer staff at YAKA further strengthening the organization’s outreach to ; alumni report gaining valuable experience that will serve them in future endeavors, from getting admitted to college to launching a career. YAKA youth have created independent social enterprise ventures, produced documentary films broadcast in many countries; and completed dozens of internships and activism and service projects.