Since the winners and finalists of The Learning Planet Youth Design Challenge were announced in January 2024, the Learning Planet Institute has been fostering and developing the finalist’s ideas – their proposed Learning Programmes for their dream university. Selected by a jury of leaders from international universities, youth networks and social enterprises, 20 finalists, including 3 laureates, have been following a bespoke 6-months online training plan.

Learning Planet Youth Design Challenge

The Learning Planet Institute is driving an intergenerational, global movement to build a new form of university adapted to transitions across the world. With the Youth Design Challenge, we are leading the call to co-design the future of learning with youth.

The Learning Planet Youth Design Challenge is an annual global initiative encouraging youth aged 15-26 to pitch their ideas for innovative learning programs. The challenge aims to co-create future universities that are engaging, flourishing, and sustainable. Participants can submit proposals on themes such as community engagement, well-being, and planetary health. This initiative is a fantastic opportunity for students to showcase their vision for the future of education and contribute to global discussions on learning.

Designed and run by The Learning Planet Institute, the training enables them to build on their ideas and includes:

• Problem framing: Taking a deeper dive into the problem the programmes are tackling.
• Learning Design: Setting learning objectives and creating structure to guide learning.
• Building Partnerships: Developing essential relations & resources to support your programme. 
• Pitching: Communication skills to bring your programme to a wider audience.
• Fundraising: Discover different fundraising strategies to finance your programme.

Check out the winning and finalist Learning Programmes below.
To support a programme through funding or mentorship, contact us here.

The next Learning Planet Youth design Challenge is launching
at the UN General Assembly in September 2024

All the info on the upcoming 2024-2025 edition are available here.

2024 Winning programmes

Pearl Perumal (South Africa) – Indigindom
Integrating global indigenous knowledge systems.

Georgina Odero (Kenya) – FiXers: Engineering for Sustainability
Knowledge-sharing platform for repairing used machines.

Jay Liu (Hong Kong) – Ad Bonam Fiden
Enhancing communication and good faith in interpersonal relationships.

2024 Finalist programmes

Ron Berlinski (Netherlands) – Weavership
Supporting youth weavers to grow the capacity of their communities to organise and co-create life-affirming futures

Siyona Bordia (United States) – Rightfully Hers
Raising awareness about gender-based disparities

Lucie Boutez (France) – Becoming Activists
Equipping young people with the tools and resources of activism

Iqsa Aqilah (Malaysia) – Base Value of the Self
∀ > Σ our §s = We are more than the sum of our parts

Ariana Dongo (Peru) – Conectadxs por el Cambio (Connected for Change)
Empower Latin American youth (18-24) for global citizenship through online sessions, fostering awareness, cross-cultural understanding, leadership, and community engagement.

Jiatong Han (China) – Nexovate
To empower youth in starting their own startups with resources for practical skills development.

Ryan Honorary – Climate Solutions Society
We aim to enable youth from all over the world to develop solutions for their local environmental changes.

Paulina Jantos (Germany) – One Home UnivEARTHsity
Connecting changemakers across the world to co-create a regenerative future for all life.

Gia Khanh Pham (Vietnam) – An Education Reimagined: How Students in Rural Vietnam rewrite their own “Chalk Road”
To foster a holistic and sustainable education by nurturing lifelong personal values and sustainable skills that transcend formal academic settings.

Wen Ying Ying Li (Singapore) – Rhythmo AI
Supporting the identification and prevention of sports injuries

Nicole Pajes (Philippines) – PlanetPulse
Embracing climate education for a Planetizen future-ready

Daniel Persky (United States) – Sustainable Development Career Programme
Allow people of all ages to have climate resilient careers

Aman Shah (Afghanistan) – Empowering Afghan Women
A Plea for Support in Education, Employment, and Personal Freedoms

Divya Sharma (India) – DIYA: Disability Inclusion Youth Association
Empower diverse communities within disabilities, champion inclusion, and drive SDG progress through education and collaboration

Kajal Tanwar (India) – Flourish360: Cultivating Wellness and Sustainability in Education
Holistic Growth Towards a Happy and Peaceful Planet.

Binti Zani (Kenya) – Green Circles
Equipping planetizens with a holistic understanding of sustainability

Ruonan Zhao (Canada), Fuelling Futures
Initiative to ensure students are able to access nutritious breakfast and lunch at school everyday, free of cost.

This publication is part of the UNESCO Chair in Learning Sciences, established between UNESCO and Université Paris Cité, in partnership with the Learning Planet Institute. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the UNESCO. The UNESCO can be held responsible for them.