Alumni Opportunities

The Diana Award 2021

The Diana Award is given out in Diana, Princess of Wales’ name to young role models, aged 9-25 from across the world who are selflessly transforming the lives of others. They are looking to recognise young people going above and beyond in their daily lives to create and sustain positive change.

Benefits

• All Diana Award recipients and their nominating organisations will be publicly announced in the Roll of Honour on 1st July, Princess Diana’s birthday, and all of their press releases related to successful nominations for that year.
• Diana Award recipients will also receive a personalised certificate as well as exclusive access to the Development Programme; a network of alumni Award recipients, opportunities and events.
• Successful UK based nominees will be invited to attend an Award Ceremony near their local area, where their achievement will be celebrated alongside their peers.
• Successful international nominees will be celebrated virtually on the International Ceremony Day which takes place on International #YouthDay on 12th August 2021.
• If your nomination is successful, you will receive a resource pack to help you contact local press to shine a spotlight on your inspirational Diana Award recipient.
• Both UK based and international recipients of The Diana Award are also eligible for The Legacy Award, which takes place on a biennial basis. The next Legacy Award ceremony will take place in 2021.

 Eligibilities

Nominator Checklist:

• I know the nominee in a professional capacity i.e. I am not a family member. You cannot nominate someone for a Diana Award if you are related to them, even if you also have a professional relationship with them
• My nominee is aged 9-25 years at the time of nomination
• My nominee has been carrying out their activities for a minimum of 12 months

Please note that you cannot nominate yourself for a Diana Award. All nominations must be made by an adult who knows the young person in a professional capacity.

Eligible Regions: Open for All

ChangeMakers Seed Grant Opportunity 2021

StartupXs has launched “ChangeMakers Seed Grant Opportunity 2021” for startups and social enterprises who want to change their community with their innovative business ideas.

 Benefits

There will be one (1) grant winner. The winner (the official producer of the application) will receive the US $1000 which will be paid through PayPal, Western Union, Bank Transfer, or other legal, eligible methods.

 Eligibilities

• Participation is open to any individual or organization in any country unless prohibited by local or the United States law
• Be between 18 and 35 years
• Social enterprises, for-profit companies, non-profit organizations, government agencies, international organizations, and researchers in any country can apply
• Priority is given to early-stage and growth-stage startup or a social enterprise working in an innovative product or idea

Eligible Regions: Open for all

The Young SDG Innovators Programme 2020

The Young SDG Innovators Programme is an opportunity for participating companies of the UN Global Compact to identify young talent within their organizations to collaborate and accelerate business innovation towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This ten-month accelerator programme activates future business leaders and changemakers to develop and drive innovative solutions through new technologies, initiatives, and business models and deliver on their company’s sustainability objectives.

Benefits

The programme offers companies the opportunity to engage their top talent at the junior and middle manager level and develop a new generation of employees that think between the intersection of corporate sustainability and innovation. Companies also benefit from the development of real business solutions that have the potential to provide value for both the company and society.

 Eligibilities

• High-performing employees at a participating company of the UN Global Compact;
• 35 years or younger;
• Interest in business model innovation, sustainability and disruptive technologies.

Eligible Regions: Open for all.

Horowitz Grants for PhD Candidates

The foundation supports projects with a social policy application on either a global or local level. Grants are based solely on merit. Each is worth a total of $7,500; $5,000 is awarded initially and $2,500 upon completion of the project. For grant recipients to be entitled to their second installment, they must show evidence of one of the following:

1. Acceptance and approval of their dissertation;
2. Acceptance of an article based on the research by a peer-reviewed journal; or
3. Invitation to write and publish a book chapter based on the research.

Grants are non-renewable and recipients have five years from announcement of the award to complete their project and claim their final payment.

Applications are evaluated based on the Trustees’ assessment of criteria such as: feasibility, applicability, originality, methodology, theoretically informed or empirically rich research, and letters of recommendation. No specific weight is given to any one area. Proposals are evaluated based on overall merit of all aspects of the application.

Eligibility

• Applicants must be current PhD (or DrPH) candidates who are working on their dissertation;
• Applicants must not have a PhD; those who do, are ineligible;
• Applicants must have defended their dissertation proposal or had their topic approved by their department;
• Applicants can be from any country and any university in the world. US citizenship or residency is not required.

Eligible Regions: Open for all

World Food Day 2020 Poster Contest

Calling out to all children and teens around the world! If you’re between ages 5 to 19, The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations wants you to use your imagination and create a poster of your favorite food hero at work. The world is full of food heroes – from farmers to drivers, shop assistants, food bank or government representatives etc., who despite various challenges, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, work hard to make sure that food makes its way from farms to our table. Let’s celebrate their great efforts this World Food Day. Young minds can be inspired by  World Food Day Activity Book that talks about the important role food heroes play in the food system and how everyone can come together and take action to support our food heroes so they can provide the healthy diets we need while protecting the planet. Join the World Food Day Poster Contest!

Benefits

• 15 posters in each category (60 posters) will be selected for the shortlist by the screening committee in December 2020. Shortlisted candidates will receive a certificate for this achievement.
• Three winning poster designs will be selected as finalists by a jury in each category.
• The top three poster designs in all categories will be announced on the World Food Day website.
• Winners will be promoted on FAO social media and by FAO offices around the world.
• Winners will also receive a Certificate of Recognition and a surprise gift bag.
• In the event that any of the selected winner(s) of any prize is/are ineligible in accordance with these Contest rules and/or the General Rules, Copyright and
• Privacy, cannot be traced, or refuses the prize, the prize will be forfeited and it will be in the sole discretion of FAO to choose whether to award the prize to another eligible entry.
• When winning posters are published, only the first initial, full family name and country of origin will be published. No other personal information about the Contestants will be published or shared.

 Eligibilities

• The Contest is open to children and youth between the ages of 5 and 19, living anywhere in the world.
• The age to declare in the entry form is the one at the time of entering the Contest. Minors must have the permission of their parents or legal guardians to participate in the Contest.

Eligible Regions: Open for all

British Chevening Scholarship for International Students 2021/2022

Applications are now open for 2021/22 Chevening Scholarship. Chevening offers a unique opportunity for future leaders, influencers, and decision-makers from all over the world to develop professionally and academically, network extensively, experience UK culture, and build lasting positive relationships with the UK.

Benefits

A Chevening Scholarship normally covers

• University tuition fees
• A monthly stipend
• Travel costs to and from the UK
• An arrival allowance
• A homeward departure allowance
• The cost of one visa application
• A travel grant to attend Chevening events in the UK

Eligibilities

• To be eligible for a Chevening Scholarship you must:
  • Be a citizen of a Chevening-eligible country or territory.
  • Return to your country of citizenship for a minimum of two years after your award has ended.
  • Have completed all components of an undergraduate degree that will enable you to gain entry onto a postgraduate programme at a UK university by the time you submit your application. This is typically equivalent to an upper second-class 2:1 honours degree in the UK.
  • Have at least two years of work experience.
  • Apply to three different eligible UK university courses and have received an unconditional offer from one of these choices by 15 July 2021.

YES Alumni Spotlight Nominations

The monthly YES Alumni Spotlight shares the experience of YES alumni who have been active in their communities and continue to exemplify the values of activism, community service, and leadership. If you would like to nominate yourself or a YES alumnus/a to be featured as a monthly Alumni Spotlight on the YES program website, please fill out the form below. Only YES alumni can be selected to be featured in the Spotlight.

Guidelines: Submit your story in English, and try to include information about the Who, What, Where, When and Why of your projects. Remember to add as many details as possible. Don't worry about getting your story perfect. Our editors will help you to improve your story after reviewing it for potential publication according to their discretion. An example of a well-rounded Alumni Spotlight article can be found here.

Eligible Regions: Open for all.

Savvy Fellowship Online Program for Aspiring and Early-Stage Entrepreneurs

Applications are now being accepted for Savvy Fellowship Program 2020. Are you passionate about solving some of Africa’s most pressing problems through innovation? Have you ever wanted to build your own impact-driven business, but didn’t know how to? Do you own an early-stage business and you want to grow and scale your impact into new markets or verticals? Then, Savvy Fellowship is looking for you. Savvy is a virtual Fellowship program for aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many have lost their jobs and are now living in an uncertain world. Savvy Fellowship was launched to equip passionate and brilliant individuals with the necessary knowledge and skill that they need to start their own impact-driven business and succeed as entrepreneurs.

Benefits

• E-Learning: Savvy Fellowship kicks off with a rigorous 12-weeks e-learning experience. As a Savvy Fellow, you will get to learn everything from ideation to venture scaling, including how to start, build, and scale an impact venture. Using visual presentations, we’ll help you answer all the relevant questions you need to kickstart that amazing impact venture, gain early traction, achieve product-market fit, and scale into newer markets. Some of the things you’ll learn during the program are ‘understanding your customer’, ‘building a product or service that effectively solves their key challenges’, and ‘effectively positioning your solution in the market.’ Savvy is for every impact entrepreneur, no matter what stage your venture is.
• Assessment: During the 12 weeks of learning, unlearning, and relearning, you can test your understanding by taking our weekly quizzes. The quizzes are a combination of multiple choices, Yes or No, and True or False. Assessments are the best way to identify your strengths and areas of weaknesses. Knowing your weaknesses helps you work effectively on them.
• Simultaneous Mentorship: While learning, you’re offered mentorship as well, from entrepreneurs who have built post-revenue businesses in diverse sectors, which is a great way to have a better understanding of your industry. The Savvy mentorship team includes over 50 changemakers from 20 countries, with a combined experience of over 200 years. Our peer-to-peer mentorship program helps Fellows learn from each other, as they ask questions, and have other Fellows help answer them.
• Life-long Community: “Once a Savvy Fellow, always a Savvy Fellow.” Savvy isn’t just a 12-weeks learning, assessment, and mentorship program, it’s a life-long entrepreneurial learning process. After the Fellowship program, you can constantly access your Savvy Fellowship account and have access to our weekly updated resources, in the form of entrepreneurial tips, nuggets, and opportunities.

Eligibilities

• Savvy is for everyone.
• New Fellows between the ages of 18 – 40.

Eligible Regions: Open for all

Peace First COVID-19 Rapid Response Grants

Peace First is launching a rapid response grant process to help young people around the world lead projects that address community impacts of COVID-19, from providing meals to elderly neighbors to launching digital mental health campaigns to support youth feeling isolated.

Globally, COVID-19 is a public health challenge — it has laid bare the consequences of persistent systemic inequality for all to see, and is threatening our social fabric, mental health, trust in institutions, and the economic security of billions of people. This is a critical time for all of us to support each other. As a global community, they know that this is a key moment to take action.

Benefits

Grants of up to $250, mentorship, and project support to young people leading initiatives to address secondary effects of COVID-19 in their communities.

Eligibilities

• Candidates must be between the ages of 13-25 to apply. Moreover, the Peace First welcomes young people from any region to apply.
  Candidates may apply as an individual or a team.
• Moreover, the project should address the secondary effects of COVID-19 (i.e. mental health, educational disruption, food insecurity, economic insecurity, supply shortages, etc).
• In addition to that, the project should be specific and time-bound, and the applicant should be able to complete the main goals of the project within 3 months.

Eligible Regions: Open for All

Google Kick Start Coding Competition

Kick Start hosts online rounds throughout the year, giving participants the opportunity to test and grow their coding abilities while getting a sample of the programming skills needed for a technical career at Google.

Kick Start offers coders around the world the chance to develop and hone their programming skills through online-hosted competition rounds. The three-hour rounds feature a variety of algorithmic challenges, all developed by Google engineers so that you get a taste of the technical skills needed for a career at Google (the top competitors from our Kick Start rounds may be invited to interview at Google!). Our rounds are held regularly throughout the year at different times so they are easily accessible to coders everywhere. Each Kick Start Round is open to all participants, no pre-qualification needed, so you can try your hand at one or give them all a shot.

Benefits

• The three-hour rounds feature a variety of algorithmic challenges, all developed by Google engineers so that you get a taste of the technical skills needed for a career at Google
• The top competitors from Kick Start rounds may be invited to interview at Google

Eligibilities

Check the FAQ section on the official website’s detailed eligibility.

Eligible Regions: Open for all.