Call for expressions of interest to participate in the UNESCO Global Youth Hackathon 2026. Following the groundbreaking success of the 2025 edition, UNESCO is now accepting applications for the 2026 edition. Hosted by UNESCO, the program brings together young leaders from around the world to transform their ideas into solutions. The Hackathon is exclusively designed for young leaders aged 18-30 from around the world who are passionate about bringing positive change and have innovative solutions to address pressing challenges in media, information, AI, and digital information. The 2026 edition of the Hackathon revolves around the exciting theme, “Play Your Part: Youth Designing the Future of Media and Information Literacy.”
The winner of the Hackathon will have the opportunity to attend the Voices European Festival of Journalism and Media Freedom, scheduled for November 26-28, 2026, in Thessaloniki, Greece. Providing them with an opportunity to showcase their project on the international stage and engage with stakeholders. Learn more about the UNESCO Hackathon below.
About UNSECO Global Youth Hackathon
It’s an annual global online competition organized by UNESCO that aims to empower young leaders to become changemakers by designing innovative solutions to today’s information and digital literacy challenges. In the previous edition, the online hackathon attracted over 1200 teams from around 138 countries, demonstrating the younger generation’s interest in contributing innovative solutions to today’s rapidly evolving information environment.
Hackathon Overview
- Organized by: UNESCO
- Eligible Countries: Open for All
- Programme: Online Hackathon Competition
- Hackathon Mode: Online
- Deadline: Not Mentioned
Who Can Apply?
To be eligible for the UNESCO Hackathon, you must meet the following criteria:
- Accepting applications from all nationalities
- Applicants’ age must be 18-30 years old at the time of application
- Participate as a team
- The team member should be 2-6
- Teams can be international or national
- No prior experience is required
- Must be passionate or motivated to bring change in communities
- Gender balance and inclusion are encouraged
Focus Areas
The teams can address the challenges posed in the following areas:
- Community Impact
- Youth Engagement
- MIL education
- AI & MIL
- Open track (any other idea aligned with the 2026 theme)
Proposal Submission:
UNESCO welcomes proposals in one of the following categories
Games, Websites, Apps, Educational Toolkits, Youth Campaigns, Podcasts, Shortfilms, Movies, Documentaries, Community intervention, Other innovative or creative solutions
Why Apply for a Hackathon?
Here are the reasons you should not miss out on this competition:
- You will work alongside young changemakers from across the world
- Participate in free online mentorship sessions from global experts
- Develop solutions to real-world challenges
- Expand your international network
- Winners will attend a conference in Greece
- Showcase their project to global leaders and experts
Mentoring Programme
All the registered applicants will have free access to a 2-day immersive mentoring programme scheduled from July 1-2, 2026. The mentoring program features experts in digital transformation media, AI, and innovation, allowing participants to strengthen their ideas and prepare a competitive project proposal.
*The online session slots are limited and are served on a first-come, first-served basis.
Important Dates
- Application window opens: June 2026
- Online Mentoring Session: July 1-2, 2026
- Project Submission Dates: July 6 – September 13, 2026
- Result Announcement: September 13-18, 2026
- Event in Greence: November 26-28, 2026
Don’t Miss out:
How to Apply?
To apply for the programme, you must prepare two components:
- Proposal document in PDF or Word
- A pitch Video of a maximum of 3 minutes
For more details about the UNESCO Youth Hackathon, visit the official link below:
