YouthMADE Festival
The YouthMADE Festival is a global celebration of youth creativity and innovation where students and educators can showcase student-led work.
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Learning Environments
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Overview
YouthMADE stands for Youth Making, Activism, Art, and Design in Education. Throughout the year, YouthMADE features stories from youth creators and changemakers worldwide.
From May 10-23, 2027, educators and students can showcase student-led work at the YouthMADE Festival, a global, two-week celebration. Students ages 5-24 can also apply for a $500 Amplify Grant to expand and amplify their projects.
Register for our next info session to learn more, and download and share the YouthMADE Festival flyer. You can reach out to us at youthmade@digitalpromise.org with any questions.
Join the Festival
The YouthMADE Festival is open to educators, students, and youth-serving organizations worldwide. Participants can view all festival events on the YouthMADE Festival Directory.
You can submit your own event and sign up for updates about the festival using the registration form below:
Amplify Grant
Sponsored by Ciena, the YouthMADE Festival Amplify Grants are $500 grants aimed to help students amplify and expand their projects. Applications for Amplify Grants will open on March 15, 2027.
How Grants Can Be Used
Grant funds may be used for purchases or reimbursements that support sharing and/or expanding student projects. Examples include but are not limited to:
- Purchase of supplies and materials to complete or expand student projects
- Purchase of licenses, tools, and equipment to document and share student projects
- Costs related to hosting an event showcasing students’ work for the YouthMADE Festival
- Costs related to presenting student work at conferences
- Fees for trainings or workshops to build skills related to students’ projects
Please note: Grant funds are disbursed to the educational organization (e.g., public school, private school, registered homeschool, or a legally recognized educational organization, such as a museum, after-school program, or youth agency), under the agreement that the funds will be used as indicated in the grant application.
Learn More
Have questions? Check out our FAQ or send an email to youthmade@digitalpromise.org. You can also learn about the 2026 YouthMADE Festival Amplify Grant recipients.
Community Awards
The YouthMADE Festival Community Awards invites students’ communities to recognize them and celebrate the projects they showcased during the YouthMADE Festival. Nominations for the 2027 YouthMADE Festival Community Awards will open in April 2027.
Learn more about the 2026 YouthMADE Festival Community Awards recipients.
Meet Youth Creators and Changemakers From Around the World.
FAQ
What is the purpose of the Festival?
The purpose of the YouthMADE Festival is to showcase youth makers, activists, artists, designers, and social entrepreneurs from all over the world. The YouthMADE Festival is designed to be an inclusive platform open to participation from students, educators, advocates, and organizations anywhere in the world. Attend an upcoming YouthMADE Festival Info session to learn more.
What is the age range of youth featured in the YouthMADE Festival?
The YouthMADE Festival will showcase youth creators and change makers who are ages 5-24. For educators and advocates submitting content on behalf of students under age 18, please be sure your content or event is in compliance with your school, district, or educational institution’s media release policies.
How do I host an event?
You can host any kind of event that is accessible to you and your audiences. You can host a virtual event, in-person, or hybrid event at your school or in your community. Be sure to register your event so we can add it to the directory. Use the hashtag #YouthMADE to share your event on social media and connect with other YouthMADE Festival participants.
I can't host an event this year. How else can I participate?
You can attend any of the public events added to the YouthMADE Festival directory, submit a story to be featured in the YouthMADE Festival blog series, or apply for an Amplify Grant. To learn more, please attend an upcoming info session.
Does my event need to be open to the public?
No, your event does not need to be open to the public. If you’d like, you can share photos from your event with us on social media using the hashtag #YouthMADE or by emailing us at youthmade@digitalpromise.org.
What time zone is the YouthMADE Festival in?
You can join the YouthMADE Festival from all over the world and in any time zone. When you register an event, you have the option to include the date, time, and time zone that your event is taking place.
What languages will be included in the YouthMADE Festival?
We invite and encourage participants to host sessions and content in any language.
What are the YouthMADE Festival Community Awards?
The YouthMADE Festival Community Awards are community-powered awards given to students participating in the YouthMADE Festival. After you register an event for the YouthMADE Festival Community Awards, we will send you a form to share with the audience at your event. The audience leaves comments on the form, which we use to generate the YouthMADE Festival Community Awards.
What is the Amplify Grant?
The YouthMADE Festival Amplify Grant is a $500 stipend aimed to expand and amplify student-led projects.
Who can apply for an Amplify Grant?
Students ages 5-24 are eligible to receive an Amplify Grant. Educators may apply on students’ behalf.
What kinds of projects are eligible for an Amplify Grant?
YouthMADE stands for Youth Making, Activism, Art, and Design in education, representing a wide range of student-led projects in STEM, fine and performing arts, media, advocacy, and more. Students’ projects can be related to any of these subjects and disciplines.
What makes a stand-out Amplify Grant application?
A stand-out Amplify Grant application will have high scores in each category of the rubric. Please follow the guidelines on the rubric when completing your application.
What materials should I prepare for my Amplify Grant application?
In addition to responding to the application questions, you will need to provide:
- One media file (i.e., image, video, slide deck, etc) representing your project. Acceptable file formats are .doc, .pdf, .jpeg, .png, mp3., mp4., or .mov. Please consolidate multiple pieces of media into one file.
- If you are selected to receive the grant, please be prepared to share documentation showing your school or educational institution is registered in your country.