Trailblazer Fellowship

Established in 2022, our Trailblazer Fellowship allows previous grantees who are currently in 8th - 12th grades to apply for a second grant to fund a dream or get a head start on their road to independence, college, and career.

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Take your dreams further

Applications are open. Phase One applications are due on April 30, 2026.

The Trailblazer Fellowship prepares participants to dream bolder as they prepare for their next stage. The Trailblazer experience allows grantees to thrive through connection, confidence, creativity, individuality, risk-taking, and courage. As a Fellow, you'll:

  • Receive up to $2500 to pursue a dream

  • Participate in a year-long cohort* experience of self-discovery, goal setting, and skill-building activities, including networking opportunities and a mentorship experience (You'll be required to attend no more than four cohort meetings.)

  • Learn about your individual strengths and how to apply them

  • Have the opportunity to deepen relationships with mentors, cohort fellows, and the Ann Bancroft Foundation community and other services to fuel dreaming and turn those dreams into realities

  • Develop insights and skills to pursue additional opportunities and resources

    *A cohort is small group of individuals who come together regularly to learn and grow together under the guidance of an experienced facilitator. This is an interactive experience focused on development and building relationships.

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  • Eligibility

    You could be eligible for a Trailblazer Fellowship if you're:

    • A previous ABF grant recipient who has completed your original ABF grant activity at the time of your application

    • A resident of Minnesota

    • In high school (8th-12th grade) in the 2025-26 school year.

      There are no citizenship requirements.

      You cannot apply if a family member is a current staff or board member of the Ann Bancroft Foundation.

  • Phase 1

    The application focuses on short-answer questions about the applicant, their grant activity, and their identified mentor. We want to hear about your bold dream and why you want to participate in the Fellowship, your experience with the initial grant from ABF, what you are proud of yourself for, your mentor and relationship, a community issue you care about, and advice you would give to your younger self.

    Applications for phase one are due on April 30, 2026.

  • Phase 2

    In this phase, the identified mentor will have some short-answer questions to complete about the applicant, and candidates will complete a 15-minute interview with two ABF staff members. Applicants will be asked about what they hope to gain in the fellowship experience, a time when they took a difficult action, supporting a peer, working in group settings, and strengths and growth opportunities. 

    After the interviews, the final Fellowship cohort will be selected in summer 2026.

Learn more about our 2025-2026 class of Trailblazer Fellows.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

As one of the few girls taking engineering electives in high school, my voice is often ignored. Now I have learned the importance of being treated as equal.
Trailblazer
When a girl has confidence, everything is possible.
Ann Bancroft
Founder & Director Emerita
At the core of our mission lies an unshakeable belief in the potential of girl-identifying youth across our state. We firmly hold that the power to create change resides within every girl, and our role is not to manufacture that power but to provide them with the tools and opportunities to harness it.
Ethelind Kaba
Executive Director