This International Youth Day, join us to celebrate young people around the world and their potential to make a positive impact in their communities.
Established by the United Nations in 1998, International Youth Day highlights issues affecting youth and the role of young people in global society. This year’s theme, “From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development,” explores how young people’s digital savviness can drive progress on the Sustainable Development Goals.
Through the YouthMADE Festival and the Ciena Solutions Challenge, Digital Promise supports young people around the world whose student-led projects are making a difference on the Sustainable Development Goals. The YouthMADE Festival is a global celebration of youth creativity and innovation, while the Ciena Solutions Challenge is a global design challenge for middle and high school students to create solutions addressing the Sustainable Development Goals.
In celebration of this year’s International Youth Day theme, discover how students are using digital technologies to build a better world. Learn how educators and students can create and share their own student-driven projects through the YouthMADE Festival and the Ciena Solutions Challenge.
YouthMADE stands for Youth Making, Activism, Art, and Design in Education, representing a broad spectrum of youth creativity and innovation, across STEM, media, fine and performing arts, advocacy and activism, design, and more. Throughout the year, Digital Promise highlights stories from youth creators and changemakers who are dedicating their hands, hearts, and minds toward projects and causes they care about.
Our first story featured Constructor University student Kinlo Ephriam Tangiri from Cameroon. As a high school student, his schooling was disrupted by a political crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. To support students facing the same challenges, Kinlo created KET Academy, an online learning platform that aims to improve access to free, high-quality educational resources. Alongside the platform, he’s recruited a team of youth ambassadors committed to transforming education in Cameroon.
Kinlo (in red) pictured with KET Academy Ambassadors.
In addition to highlighting student stories year-round, we host the YouthMADE Festival annually in May. This two-week celebration allows students to showcase their work and apply for an Amplify Grant to fund their projects. High school student João Pedro S. in Brazil was one of 10 Amplify grantees. He created and showcased Skarn, an online platform that helps students better understand math concepts.
João Pedro’s presentation during the YouthMADE Festival
During the YouthMADE Festival, students in the Ciena Solutions Challenge also have an opportunity to showcase their projects. Daniel H., a 2024 recipient of the Ciena Solutions Challenge Sustainability Award in Surabaya, Indonesia, shared his project Booklens, an app that helps young people find age-appropriate books through scanning the book’s barcode.
We are excited to support more students and their educators in creating and sharing powerful student-led projects. Here are some of the ways you can join us this school year:
Want to learn more? Join us at the next YouthMADE Festival Info Session where you can learn and connect with us about opportunities to celebrate and showcase student-led work.
