The American Philatelic Society runs a program called the Young Philatelic Leaders Fellowship (YPLF) with the aim of encouraging and developing philatelic participation. The US Philatelic Classics Society has been a co-sponsor of the YPLF since the program’s inception in 2009. The Society provides some funding and our members provide mentoring and advice to individual fellows.
The YPLF is focused on “young adult philatelists between the ages of 16 and 24” and has 6 possible tracks of participation each of which culminates in completion of a project presented at a stamp show:
• Author – Choose a philatelic topic, write 2 articles for publication and create one multi-media presentation
• Curator – Create a museum-style exhibit
• Dealer – Develop a business plan
• Analytic – Conduct 1-3 technical research activities related to philately
• Designer – Create 8 different, original cachets and to present at a national stamp show
• Exhibitor – Build a philatelic exhibit around a topic and that tells a story
Each project demonstrates the expertise and skills developed during the fellowship.
Fellows are assigned a mentor who assists their development by providing advice, counsel, and introduction to relevant expertise and materials. Also, Fellows attend one or more national stamp shows to both further their development and to show the results of their efforts.
Over the course of the program, The Society has sponsored 9 Fellows
2025 – Sjon Brejtfus – Dealer Track
2024 – Theodore Rosenberg – Author/Analytic Track
2023 – Bethany Hunter – Author Track
2019/23 – Victor Livesay – Dealer Track, Alfredo Frohlich Fellow, sponsored by Alexander Haimann
2016 – Evan Schlosser – Author Track
2015 – Charles Epting – Author Track
2014 – Sabrina McGill – Author Track
2013 – Casey Cook – Dealer Track
2012 – Alex Gill – Dealer Track
2011 – John Phillips – Exhibitor Track
2010 – Melissa Stanton – Author Track
Alex Gill (YPLF 2012) represents one of the many positive outcomes of the YPLF Program. Just after his college graduation, he served on the expert committee for The Philatelic Foundation in New York City. He has also served as editor-in-chief of two philatelic publications, Across The Fence Post and the Wisconsin Badger Postal History Journal, both issued to stamp collectors across his home state of Wisconsin.
Our members have actively served as mentors and sponsors of individual Fellows. One measure of the success of the program is the transition of Fellows to membership in the USPCS.
Applications for the class of 2026 are now being accepted [closing date is 15 May]. If you know someone whom you think would be a good fit for the program, please recommend them or encourage them to apply. Instructions and forms are available here: https://stamps.org/learn/youth-in-philately.
If you want to directly assist with the program, please reach out to Sarah Aldrich at education@stamps.org.
