Study in Greece | UNESCO Youth Scholarship 2026

Posted 2026-06-23 10:00:17

Study in Greece | UNESCO Youth Scholarship 2026

Young visionaries, content creators, social entrepreneurs, and change makers now have an extraordinary opportunity to transform their ideas into globally impactful projects. UNESCO officially opened applications for its Youth Hackathon 2026, inviting individuals aged 18 to 30 to develop creative solutions strengthening Media and Information Literacy (MIL) in our rapidly evolving digital landscape.

This initiative arrives following the record breaking 2025 edition, which attracted over 1,200 teams from 138 countries. Clearly, young people are emerging as powerful architects of our digital future rather than passive information consumers.

Why This Hackathon Matters Now

Artificial intelligence continues reshaping how we consume information. Social media algorithms influence our decisions daily. Misinformation spreads faster than ever before. Consequently, UNESCO recognises that young people must lead efforts to build critical thinking skills and responsible media use worldwide.

Through this competition, participants can develop projects promoting digital citizenship, information literacy, and informed decision making. Winning teams gain international visibility and recognition on a prestigious global platform.

What Winners Receive

The hackathon’s most compelling benefit involves an expenses paid invitation to Greece. Selected winning teams will attend the Voices European Festival of Journalism and Media Freedom in Thessaloniki from 26–28 November 2026.

During this event, winners can:

Showcase their innovative projects before international stakeholders
Network with journalists, educators, and policymakers
Gain recognition from UNESCO and global partners
Exchange ideas with youth leaders worldwide
Participate in discussions shaping media literacy’s future

Who Can Participate?

UNESCO deliberately maintains broad eligibility criteria to encourage diverse participation. Applicants must:

Be between 18 and 30 years old
Form teams of 2 to 6 members
Support UNESCO values of peace, diversity, and inclusion
Maintain gender balanced and inclusive team compositions

No previous hackathon experience is required. University students, graduates, software developers, educators, media enthusiasts, social entrepreneurs, and youth activists are all welcome.

Five Challenge Tracks for 2026

Teams can select one or multiple tracks when developing projects:

AI and Media Literacy: Solutions helping people understand and evaluate artificial intelligence technologies
MIL Education: Creative approaches making media literacy learning more accessible
Community Impact: Projects empowering communities through information literacy interventions
Youth Engagement: Ideas strengthening youth organisations as digital literacy agents
Open Track: Any innovative MIL concept aligned with the hackathon theme

Project Formats and Mentorship

UNESCO welcomes creativity across multiple formats including mobile applications, websites, educational games, podcasts, comics, short films, documentaries, educational toolkits, youth campaigns, and community interventions.

Furthermore, all registered participants access a special two day mentoring programme on 1–2 July 2026. Expert sessions cover Media Literacy, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Transformation, Innovation, Project Development, and Social Impact Design. Live participation spaces are limited and assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.

Submission Requirements

Each team must submit two components in English. The proposal document must include team information, problem statement, project objectives, target audience, concept description, sustainability plan, creativity elements, and implementation feasibility.

Additionally, teams must produce a three minute pitch video explaining the problem addressed, why it matters, proposed solutions, expected beneficiaries, and innovation potential.

How to Apply

Click Here to Apply

Critical Timeline

Call Opens: 15 June 2026
Mentoring Programme: 1–2 July 2026
Project Submission: 6 July – 16 August 2026
Global Evaluation: 18 August – 13 September 2026
Winner Announcement: 13–18 September 2026
Greece Ceremony: 26–28 November 2026

Why You Should Participate

Many international competitions focus exclusively on coding or technology. UNESCO’s hackathon differs fundamentally because it rewards social impact, creativity, and community engagement. Participants gain expert mentoring, international exposure, global networking, and opportunities to present work in Greece.

For students building scholarship applications, researchers developing impact portfolios, or entrepreneurs launching social innovations, this represents one of the most accessible and globally respected youth opportunities available for 2026. Register early to secure live mentoring sessions and prepare a competitive proposal.