Harley Maclachlan completed a four-day emerging leaders course in Yackandandah last month and "words can't describe how fantastic the summit was".

"To see 10 people who day one didn't know each other from a bar of soap, come day two, day three, day four, being able to work like a team that had been working together for 10 to 20 years, it was amazing," he said.

The course was run by Border company The Mandala Project, which recently gained federal government funding through the Black Summer bushfire recovery grants scheme.

Over the next two years, founders Anthony and Mel Nicholson will run five eight-day leadership programs for young people in the fire-affected communities of Alpine, Indigo, East Gippsland, Towong, Mansfield, Wangaratta and Wodonga.

People aged 18 to 26 years who live, work or study in one of the seven councils will be eligible, with the first sessions to start on April 28 in Bright.

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Mr Nicholson said the North East Victoria Youth L.E.A.D program aimed to help young adults gain skills and confidence, develop real social connections and encourage them to become more involved in local life.

"Communities in our area have been doing it tough, particularly for the last couple of years," he said.

"First it was the bushfires, then COVID, and then there has been a number of youth suicides."

Mr Maclachlan, a 27-year-old real estate agent, said he had completed leadership programs previously, but this "took it to the next level".

"I've also taken away memories of the best experience of my life," he said.

"The Mandala Project was able to push us out of our comfort zone to where we could learn more about ourselves and how we can better lead in the future.

"The youth are going to be the people who recover the North East from everything that's happened and be able to prepare the North East for what's going to happen in the future."

To register interest in participating in a NEVYL program, go to themandalaproject.com.au.

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