Following the conclusion of the 2025 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 57 students hailing from Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Georgia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Morocco, Nigeria, the United States, and Yemen.
Students: Aarush M. and Musharraf A.
YouthMADE Festival content or event name: Empowering Vision, Touching Lives
Country: India
“What I appreciated most about the students and their project was their deep sense of empathy and commitment to social equity. Their innovative thinking, especially in creating an affordable Braille tablet, reflected not just technical creativity but a genuine desire to uplift marginalized communities through sustainable, inclusive solutions.” – Shweta Awasthi, mentor
Students: Ahmad H., Mustika, Keila M. A.
YouthMADE Festival event or Content name: AKURAT/Ciena Solutions Challenge Student Panel
Country: Indonesia
“I appreciated their application of practical science and technology to benefit society.” – Izuddin Syarif, teacher
Students: Ninth grade students at Inem Santiago Perez School in Bogotá
YouthMADE Festival content or event: Humedales y sabiduría ancestral
Country: Colombia
“I learn every day from my students; they are my reason to be who I am as a teacher. My goal is to train upright human beings, that love their life, be respectful with one another and be grateful for nature’s gifts. It is really elevating when the students comprehend the impact that we have as human beings in sacred places such as wetland, and how in our day by day we can contribute to preserve these places and improve the quality of life of all forms of life that depend on it.” – Liz Patricia Suárez, teacher
Students: Angelica K., Yashwini S., Saanvi C., Vibha V., Immanuel G., Sohum M.
YouthMADE Festival content or event: TEDxCoppellHighSchool 2025
Country: United States
“The students have dedicated an enormous amount of their own time and resources in order to put together the TEDx speaking event for the benefit of all the participants involved.” – Maya, classmate
Student: Chaimae O.
YouthMADE Festival event or content: Timewalker: When a Girl Led Science to Save the World
Country: Morocco
“What was striking in Chaimae’s experience was the way she could merge science fiction and leadership in a motivational and exceptional context. In her experience, she showed great skills for developing a fictional world grounded on human values and scientific laws. How the protagonist used science and innovation to save her world was interesting. The leadership values espoused through the narrative such as teamwork, planning, and problem-solving are values that future young readers can apply in their own lives. Aside from the story being engaging and reflective, the story also encouraged personal development. Chaimae was also capable of balancing elements of the imagination with the proper scientific lessons in the narrative and therefore the narrative was both educational and entertaining.” – Amin Jamilon, teacher
Students: George S., Dorcas A., Oduro P., Hannah Q.
YouthMADE event or content: Tree Planting, Growing A Greener Future
Country: Ghana
“I appreciated their confidence. The project was educational.” – Maxwell Kyeremeh, mentor
Students: Elizabeth M., Brando Q., Caleb C.
YouthMADE Festival event or content: Aquaponic Ship
Country: United States
“Students create a project that addresses real world issue of hunger and food distribution” – Jose Gonzalez, teacher
Students: Gerald Juan Caleb H., Nathan Terrence S., Sebastian Emmanuel K., Daniel Benjamin I., Marvell N.l., Victorianto Vincentcius L.
YouthMADE Festival event or content: VenEco
Country: Indonesia
“I was deeply impressed by this team’s resilience and growth mindset. Their ability to overcome technical hurdles—like training AI on local waste datasets and optimizing hardware for accessibility—showcases not just technical ingenuity, but a commitment to scalable, community-driven solutions. Their iterative approach, from boosting AI accuracy to integrating behavioral incentives, reflects a visionary blend of innovation and practical impact.” – Okky Ariyanto, teacher
Student: Isaac Darling Moreno Coello
YouthMADE Festival event or content name: Recycle Program – ISMOR Society
Country: Ecuador
“I loved their ingenuity and creative solutions. They demonstrated a great ability to think outside the box and find innovative answers to the challenges they faced. Their skill in analyzing problems and developing effective solutions is truly remarkable.” – Jésus, family member
Title nomination by Angelo Marín, mentor
Students: Mohammed A., May K., Maryam Y., Zainab A.
YouthMADE Festival event or content name: Amideast-Yemen
Country: Yemen
“I appreciated their teamwork and creative thinking” – Nisha Vasudevan, teacher
Students: Nino G., Irakli G., Nutsa S.
YouthMADE Festival event or content name: Virus Genome Decoder and Digital Map of Sachkhere
Country: Georgia
“I appreciated their creativity and initiative.” – Maia Tkemaladze, teacher
Student: Nur Qamariah Hasmeddy
YouthMADE Festival event or content name: First 2 Fix
Country: Malaysia
“Nur Qamariah Hasmeddy is a proactive and highly dedicated fourth-year Construction Technology student who often takes the lead of an unprecedented undertaking that is probably new to students in their context. She has led a home repair community project, home damage assessment research, co-authored a research paper on the aforementioned research and a conference presentation on this project. She also has won a medal in an innovation contest with her brickwork mortar mold and published a feature article on upcycled construction waste in a digital magazine.”- Sirhajwan Idek, teacher
Students: Peter O., Opeyemi B., Raphael O., Kehinde A. and Adeosun A.
YouthMADE Festival event or content name: SparkWise Tech Initiative
Country: Nigeria
“I appreciated the students’ creativity, confidence, and strong problem-solving mindset in the SparkWise Tech Initiative. Their ability to transform waste into clean energy devices demonstrates practical innovation, teamwork, and a deep understanding of sustainability. I was especially impressed by their passion for making a positive impact in their community and their clear communication of ideas.” – Ebenezer Anyadiegwu, teacher
Students: Serik Iliyas, Talgat Yernar
YouthMADE Festival event or content: Aqsu Filters/Ciena Solutions Challenge Student Panel
Country: Kazakhstan
“The students made a creative and super interesting project.” Arman Imansharipova, teacher
Students: Giannella G., Maximiliano R., María José B., Martín A., Deyanira O., Camilo F.
YouthMADE Festival event or content: Humedales y sabiduría ancestral
Country: Chile
“The students showed great interest and enthusiasm in learning the names, scents, and uses of the different medicinal plants we planted in the school garden. They worked as a team to plant, care for, and record information such as watering and growth. The students demonstrated a careful attitude when handling the plants, an appreciation for working with the land, and a commitment to preserving green spaces.” – Jéssica Jeacquelinne Espinoza Fuentes, teacher
Students: Sergio Alejandro, Ana Sofia, Ángel Santiago, Nicolas Estiben
YouthMADE Festival event or content: Humedales y sabiduría ancestral
Country: Colombia
“The students demonstrated an outstanding willingness to work as a team, contributing ideas, valuing those of their peers, and actively collaborating in the search for solutions to the challenges presented.” – Norma Constanza Vargas and Sonia Janeth Leal, teachers
Students: Valeria Ruiz H., Camila Guadalupe N., Camila V., Jesús Valentin F.
YouthMADE Festival event or content: Humedales y sabiduría ancestral
“I highlight their dedication and genuine enthusiasm in developing the projects, showing initiative, creativity, and a strong commitment throughout every stage of the process.” – Melina Yazmin Estrada Tavera, teacher
Students: Gabriel A., Matías C., Mia W., Carlos G.
YouthMADE Festival event or content: Humedales y sabiduría ancestral
Country: Chile
“What I appreciated the most was the students’ genuine enthusiasm and their sense of wonder when discovering that they could create life by propagating plants. It was especially meaningful to see how this hands-on learning approach strengthened their understanding of concepts, even for those who don’t typically excel in traditional academic settings. This method allowed them to engage with learning in a more meaningful way, helping them develop skills such as observation, perseverance, and problem-solving, while also boosting their confidence and personal motivation.” – Cristina Muñoz, teacher
