Aurora is delighted to announce that the next cycle of Young Aurora is now open for submissions. Presented by the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative in partnership with the United World Colleges (UWC) and with the participation of Teach for All and the African Leadership Academy (ALA), this annual competition is designed to inspire young changemakers. Student teams from UWC and ALA are given the opportunity to enter project proposals that tackle pressing humanitarian concerns within their local communities and compete for the chance to win a $10,000 grant towards the further development of their project.
The program has already helped many student projects create a positive and long-lasting impact in their local school communities. Between 2017 and 2024, Young Aurora evaluated 126 youth-led projects from 19 partner schools and issued 15 grants with awards totaling $40,000. All proposals are evaluated according to their level of creativity, sustainability, quality of research and potential for impact. Each year, three teams are selected as finalists to present their ideas and plans to a panel of highly accomplished humanitarians, entrepreneurs, and world leaders. All participating teams also benefit from personalized feedback and support to help refine and further develop their project plans.
The 2023–2024 Young Aurora winning team from UWC Changshu China was announced during a special Aurora Dialogues Online event and panel discussion titled “Facing Reality: Acknowledging Community Challenges” and featuring 2022 Aurora Prize Laureate Jamila Afghani. The winning team’s Enlightenment project aims to empower rural youth from underprivileged backgrounds, equipping them with the tools and support to pursue their interests and aspirations.
“We are profoundly grateful for the opportunity provided by Young Aurora. Enlightenment has been a project born from our deep conviction that we can revolutionize the didactic education system. Without Aurora’s unwavering support, we wouldn't have the visibility or encouragement that allows us to thrive as we do today,” stated the Enlightenment team at UWC Changshu China.
Previous winning projects have included: Seed of Hope (2021), a project by Waterford Kamhlaba UWC of Southern Africa, designed to empower young people at Malindza refugee camp in eSwatini through the creation of a youth hub, serving as both an online education center and social space; and Beehive Divide (2020) from a team of students from UWC East Africa who constructed a beehive fence to address the human-elephant conflict in Sanya Hoyee village, Tanzania. There have also been many notable runners-up, such as Amaavasya (2018), which continues to enable women in Maharashtra, India, to engage in taboo-breaking conversations around the stigma of menstruation.
Aurora and our partners cannot wait to see what kinds of innovative and creative projects the students will put forward this year. As interest in this program continues to grow, Aurora is seeking new partnerships with academic institutions to empower young leaders and support their visions for enacting positive change. Inquiries about Young Aurora can be directed to [email protected].
Photo: UWC Community