The YouthMADE Festival is a global celebration of youth creativity and innovation where students, educators, and advocates around the world showcase student-led projects in making, activism, art, and design. From May 6-19, this year’s YouthMADE Festival hosted 20 live events and 46 pieces of content from students and teachers worldwide, with more than 500 people registered to take part in celebrating creative and innovative student work.
Following the conclusion of the 2024 YouthMADE Festival, we’re excited to announce the youth creators and changemakers who received nominations for the YouthMADE Festival Community Awards. The YouthMADE Festival Community Awards invite teachers, students, families and community members around the world to recognize students who presented at the YouthMADE Festival. Join us in celebrating the 49 students hailing from Brazil, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, and the United States, who are using creativity and innovation toward climate change, sustainability, quality education, and more.
Project: (Mine)Crafting A Better Future
Students: Salwa O., Charlie O., Lyn S. Fharrell B., Juan G., Marvy K., Brit L., Esraa L., Enrique H., Zach B., Kam E., Jay M., Rayden W., Arlite D., Aeth F., Ayan S., Louis S., Jolin J., Kyle N., Ihaka C., Jerry Z., Amber L.
Location: New York, New York, USA
“What I appreciate most about these students and their projects is their dedication and passion to Minecraft. They had no prior experience with Minecraft Education and they were able to take it to great heights over the past few years. From winning esports competitions about sustainable builds to charity fundraising to a student ambassador program, these students are paving the way for game-based learning. They are a source of inspiration for educators and students around the globe. For anyone who thinks games don’t have a place in schools, these students will prove you wrong!” – Mashfiq Ahmed, teacher
Event: Beyond the Plastic Age: Strategies for Reducing Plastic Pollution
Students: The Zoba Advisory, Mmesoma, Fisayo, Kelechi, Oluchi, Christianah
Location: Lagos, Nigeria
“I appreciated the community’s comprehensive approach to addressing plastic pollution, covering policy changes, infrastructure development, and community engagement. The project demonstrated a deep understanding of the issue’s complexity and offered a range of innovative solutions, showcasing creativity, critical thinking, and commitment to sustainability. The emphasis on community-led initiatives and behavior change highlighted the importance of grassroots efforts in driving meaningful impact.” – Grace Chukwufumanya Ndobu, community member
Project: Booklens
Student: Daniel H.
Location: Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia
BookLens is an app that scans book barcodes to provide instant information about the book’s content and age suitability. Teacher Mangaris Situmorang appreciates the project for “answering the real problem of his and his peers according to the era of technology now on.”
Project: Carbon Emission Reduction
Student: Lalithsrivathsan MS
Location: Erode, Tamil Nadu, India
Project: Code 4 Climate
Students: Achadu C., Ganiyu A., Samuel S., Ekem-Obong V.,Ibrahim S., Zamani H.
Location: Lagos, Nigeria
Reflecting on the students’ work to use technology to combat climate change, the students’ teacher Olawale Oyemade Oyekanmi says he appreciates their project for “their Innovative Imagination to offer solutions to challenges.”
Project: First to Fix
Student: Caleb E. D.
Location: Keningau, Sabah, Malaysia
“Caleb has led his peers from the Construction Technology Programme of his school to carry out restoration, refurbishing and repair work at primary schools in the rural area of Sabah, Malaysia. Due to extreme weathers and lack of access and maintenance budget, many schools in the rural areas of the state have gradually become dilapidated and decrepit. […] These decaying structures are not conducive to learning and are uncomfortable for students and teachers to be in. Hence, Caleb Evander initiated a community service where he mobilized students from several vocational programmes, namely, electrical technology, welding technology, and construction technology, to embark on a mission to repair and restore buildings at several primary schools in the area. […] Caleb also led his classmates in the expansion project of several buildings at his school in order to provide greater comfort for the students and teachers with the addition of a pavilion and a gazebo within its compound. Caleb also authored an English language feature article on youth volunteering in community projects. […] His article was published in Sabah-based magazine, Breeze, in the 2024 April issue. […] His article has helped to spread and solidify the concept of youth volunteering via community projects that could empower the young generation in the state while meeting community’s unmet needs.” – Sirhajwan Idek
Project: Household Appliances Innovation Powered by Solar
Students: Peter O, Raphael O, Kehinde A, Samuel E, Adeosun A.
Location: Odeda, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria
“I appreciate their creativity and Innovative mindset and their collaboration in designing solar powered household appliances to tackle our community challenge of ‘no electricity’ due to grid failures,” said their teacher Ebenezer Anyadiegwu.
Teach for Nigeria Fellow Uchechi Oparah appreciated their “collaboration/teamwork, circular designs, creative use of technology to bring solutions to their community challenge,” while teacher Omobonike Egbeyale noted “their resilience and creativity,” and teacher Ibrahim Babatunde highlighted their “Innovative use of technology to design solutions to their community challenge (inadequate electricity).”
Project: Liquid Fertilizer From Organic Waste
Students: Eve T. and Whitney E.
Location: Kisumu, Kenya
The team used organic waste to create liquid fertilizer for their community. Teacher Kimakwa Godfrey noted that “Eve is the most committed to the community and the presentation of the project as a team leader.”
Project: Mearpet
Name: Siti Nur Hanisah O. H.
Location: Keningau, Sabah, Malaysia
“Siti Nur Hanisah is the leader and founder of Mearpet. It is a social enterprise that upcycles fabric waste, namely, pre-loved clothes and stuffed toys, into hand puppets which are used to educate and entertain children through indigenous folktales. The purpose of the project is to reduce fabric waste in our landfill and to capitalize on puppetry as an imaginative and entertaining hands-on didactic technique for children. Through this project, she has conducted workshops on puppetry sewing with the assistance of special needs learners as trainers and she led a team of students to do a live performance for children at a mall in the state capital […] Her project has empowered her peers to become social entrepreneurs and it also offers opportunities for special needs individuals to partake in activities and competitions where they are able to use their skills and talents into practice in which most of these activities and competitions were often reserved for non-special needs learners.” – Sirhajwan Idek, teacher
Event: Skarn
Student: João Pedro S.
Location: Alcobaça, Bahia, Brazil
Skarn is a platform designed to help students better understand important math concepts. Reflecting on the platform and João Pedro’s presentation, classmate Maria S. noted, “the project is very useful in helping students learn. Furthermore, it has very good and useful principles for education.”
Project: Sustainable City of Neom
Students: Liyan N. Y. H., Amar I. J. I., Hala A. A., Rouaa A. C.
Location: Jeddah, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
Students created prototypes for robots that could help ensure sustainability in Saudi Arabia’s new city, Neom. Their teacher Nouf Youssef nonimated the team for “their teamwork and sustainability.”
