Generation Unlimited Youth Challenge 2019/20

ABOUT

Aiming to inspire young people with brilliant ideas, but without the resources to bring them to life, the Generation Unlimited Youth Challenge 2019/20 took place in 36 countries worldwide and included young refugees, those who face daily discrimination due to their ethnicity,  gender, or disability, and those who are disadvantaged by poverty.

A call for applications was launched in each of the 36 participating countries and successful applicants were invited to take part in design workshops. Following these workshops, the five most promising ideas from each country were selected and awarded USD 1,000 each in funding and provided with mentoring to support the projects’ implementation. Then, in June 2020, the most promising solutions from each country were submitted to a global judging process.

In December 2020, Ilwad Elman, a young GenU Board of Trustees member, and UNICEF, UNDP, Plan International, and the Scouts finally announced the global winners of the challenge, in an event that celebrated the efforts of the 15 million young participants and showcased the transformative power of youth-led innovation! 

The event saw the crowning of 8 winning teams that span all continents, which are set to receive further funding of up to $15,000 USD, along with a tailored global incubation programme from Generation Unlimited partners to support them to scale. Their creative ideas include Venus Arm, a team of teenagers who have created a 3D printed bionic arm that is 1/30^th of the price of existing prosthetics and can ‘grow’ with children.

The most promising ideas will contribute to the success of Generation Unlimited, an ambitious multi-sector public-private global partnership meant to meet the urgent needs for expanded education, training and employment opportunities for young people on an unprecedented scale.

The Generation Unlimited Youth Challenge 2019/20 is co-hosted globally by four Generation Unlimited partners – UNICEF, UNDP, Plan International and the World Organization of the Scout Movement, with support from Irish Aid.

Youth Challenge 2018/19

See more stories below for details and background on the first round ever iteration, Generation Unlimited Youth Challenge 2018/19, which took place in 16 countries and engaged over 800 young innovators!