The UNESCO Youth Hackathon 2025, a fully financed international event that will take place this year in Cartagena, Colombia, is currently accepting applications. The goal of the hackathon is to unite young entrepreneurs, innovators, and changemakers from around the globe by providing them with a forum for idea sharing and collaboration while creating original answers to some of the most pressing problems confronting the digital information landscape of today.
The event tackles important topics like the ethical ramifications of artificial intelligence’s quick development, the proliferation of false and misleading information, the growing issue of hate speech online, the dominance of major digital platforms, and the threats to information integrity. In order to promote resilience, creativity, and inclusivity in the digital sphere, UNESCO encourages youth to collaborate on these urgent issues.
The Youth Hackathon was successfully held in Indonesia in 2024, with 202 teams taking part, demonstrating the initiative’s genuinely worldwide reach. In addition to receiving recognition for their creative projects, the 2025 winners will get the chance to showcase their solutions at the Global Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Week Conference, which will take place in Cartagena, Colombia, from October 23 to 24. UNESCO will pay for airfare and lodging to guarantee that all chosen participants, regardless of their financial situation, can attend.
UNESCO’s commitment to empowering youth, enhancing digital resilience, and creating safer, more inclusive, and more sustainable information ecosystems globally is reaffirmed through this effort.
Host Country: Colombia
Location: Cartagena
Opportunity Type: Conference
Dates: 23-24 October 2025
Eligibility Country: International Students
Financial Coverage: Fully Funded
Structure of the Program
- Pre-event mentorship: Before submitting their ideas, chosen participants will get free online mentorship.
- Project Submission: Using the official UNESCO website, applicants will send in their proposals and projects.
- Final Presentation: The Global MIL Week Conference will invite the winning teams to Colombia to present their work.
Focus Areas
- AI and MIL: Use media and information literacy (MIL) to create creative answers to problems presented by artificial intelligence.
- MIL Education: In the current digital era, suggest innovative ways to improve MIL learning.
- Impact on the Community: Create MIL-led projects that empower and improve regional communities.
- Youth Engagement: Develop plans that establish youth groups as important forces behind MIL transformation.
- Open Track: Share more MIL-related concepts that complement this year’s theme.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Candidates from various nations are welcome.
- Teams, which might be national, regional, or worldwide, must include three to six members.
- Participants must be between the ages of 18 and 30.
- It is highly recommended that teams be inclusive and gender balanced.
- No prior experience is necessary; what matters most are motivation, creativity, and passion.
Benefits:
- One of the main events of Global Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Week is the UNESCO Global Youth Hackathon.
- The program offers complete assistance, which includes:
- airfare for a chosen number of participants round-trip.
- accommodations during the occasion.
Deadline: 1st September 2025
