UNESCO Youth Hackathon 2026 Opens Worldwide to Win a Trip to Greece

Young innovators, students, entrepreneurs, content creators, activists, and future changemakers now have a chance to turn their ideas into a global-impact project while competing for an invitation to Greece. UNESCO has officially launched applications for the UNESCO Youth Hackathon 2026, a worldwide innovation challenge that invites youth aged 18–30 to design creative solutions that strengthen Media and Information Literacy (MIL) in the age of artificial intelligence, misinformation, and digital transformation.

The opportunity comes after the record-breaking 2025 edition attracted more than 1,200 teams from 138 countries, proving that young people are not only consumers of information but also powerful architects of the digital future.

Under the theme “Play Your Part: Youth Designing the Future of Media and Information Literacy”, UNESCO is calling on young people from every country to collaborate, innovate, and propose practical solutions that can help societies navigate today’s complex information landscape.

Why This UNESCO Opportunity Matters?

The internet is changing rapidly. Artificial intelligence, social media algorithms, misinformation campaigns, and digital content creation are reshaping how people learn, communicate, and make decisions.

UNESCO believes young people should be at the center of creating solutions to these challenges. Through this hackathon, participants will have the opportunity to develop innovative projects that promote critical thinking, responsible media use, digital citizenship, and information literacy.

The most successful teams will gain global visibility and the opportunity to present their work on an international stage.

What Do Winning Teams Receive?

The biggest attraction of the UNESCO Youth Hackathon 2026 is the international exposure offered to winning participants.

Selected winning teams will be invited by UNESCO to attend the Voices European Festival of Journalism and Media Freedom in Thessaloniki, Greece, taking place from 26–28 November 2026.

During the event, winners will:

• Showcase their projects before international stakeholders
• Network with journalists, educators, policymakers, and innovators
• Gain recognition from UNESCO and global partners
• Exchange ideas with youth leaders from around the world
• Participate in discussions shaping the future of media and information literacy

Who Can Apply?

UNESCO has intentionally kept eligibility broad to encourage participation from diverse backgrounds. Applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Be between 18 and 30 years old
• Participate in teams consisting of 2 to 6 members
• Teams may be national, regional, or international
• No previous hackathon experience is required
• Teams must support UNESCO values such as peace, diversity, inclusion, and freedom of expression
• Gender-balanced and inclusive teams are strongly encouraged

Whether you are a university student, graduate researcher, software developer, educator, media enthusiast, social entrepreneur, or youth activist, you are eligible to participate.

5 New Challenge Areas for 2026

Teams may choose one or multiple challenge tracks when developing their projects.

• AI and Media Information Literacy

Solutions that help people understand, evaluate, and responsibly use artificial intelligence technologies.

• Media Information Literacy Education

Creative educational approaches that make MIL learning more accessible in the digital era.

• Community Impact

Projects designed to empower communities through media and information literacy interventions.

• Youth Engagement

Ideas that strengthen the role of youth organizations as agents of digital and media literacy change.

• Open Track

Any innovative Media and Information Literacy concept aligned with the hackathon theme.

What Type of Projects Can Be Submitted?

UNESCO welcomes creativity and innovation across multiple formats. Participants may submit:

• Mobile applications
• Websites and digital platforms
• Educational games
• Podcasts and radio programmes
• Comics and artistic works
• Short films and documentaries
• Educational toolkits
• Youth campaigns
• Community interventions
• Other innovative formats

The focus is not on technology alone but on impact, creativity, feasibility, and relevance.

Free Mentoring for All Registered Participants

One of the strongest features of this competition is UNESCO’s mentoring programme. All registered participants will receive access to a special two-day mentoring programme scheduled for 1–2 July 2026.

The sessions will feature experts in:

• Media and Information Literacy
• Artificial Intelligence
• Digital Transformation
• Innovation and Entrepreneurship
• Project Development
• Social Impact Design

Live participation spaces are limited and will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. However, participants who miss live sessions will still receive recordings and learning resources.

How to Submit Your Project?

Each team must submit two components in English.

Proposal Document

The proposal should include:

• Team information
• Problem statement
• Project objectives
• Target audience
• Concept or prototype description
• Sustainability plan
• Creativity and innovation elements
• Feasibility of implementation

Pitch Video

Teams must also submit a video of up to three minutes explaining:

• The problem they are solving
• Why it matters
• Their proposed solution
• Expected beneficiaries
• Innovation and impact potential

The video should clearly demonstrate why the project deserves international recognition.

Important Timeline

Why Students and Young Professionals Should Not Miss This?

Many international competitions focus exclusively on coding or technology. UNESCO’s Youth Hackathon is different. It rewards ideas that can create social impact, strengthen digital citizenship, improve media literacy, and help communities navigate today’s information ecosystem.

Participants gain access to expert mentoring, international exposure, global networking opportunities, and a chance to present their work in Greece. For students building scholarship applications, researchers developing impact portfolios, entrepreneurs launching social innovations, or youth leaders seeking international recognition, this is one of the most accessible and globally respected youth opportunities currently open for 2026.

Application Deadline

The project submission window for the UNESCO Youth Hackathon 2026 runs from 6 July 2026 to 16 August 2026. Interested teams should register early to maximize their chances of securing live mentoring sessions and preparing a competitive proposal.