What Is the Youth Social Innovation Award Cluster?
Not every award fits neatly into a single category. Some of the most exciting opportunities for young people sit at the intersection of technology, innovation, and social good — and a cluster of global programmes has emerged to recognise and support youth innovators in this space. This guide covers three of the most significant: MIT Solve, Global Changemakers, and the World's Children's Prize.
Each has its own structure, eligibility, and prize, but all share a belief that young people can use technology and innovation to solve real social problems. For students aged 13–25 interested in technology for good, these programmes offer funding, mentorship, and global platforms.
MIT Solve — Innovation Challenges from MIT
What It Is
MIT Solve is an initiative of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that hosts global challenges asking innovators to submit technology-based solutions to pressing social problems. Challenges rotate each year and span areas like health, education, climate, economic prosperity, and learning. Selected "Solvers" receive funding, mentorship, and access to MIT's global network.
Eligibility
- Age: Varies by challenge — some are open to youth and young adults, others to innovators of all ages.
- Location: Open worldwide.
- What's required: A technology-based solution to the specific challenge posed, with evidence of feasibility and impact.
What Solvers Receive
- Grant funding (amounts vary by challenge, often $10,000–$50,000+)
- Mentorship from MIT faculty, industry leaders, and the Solve network
- Access to MIT's global ecosystem of innovators, investors, and partners
- Visibility through the Solve platform and MIT channels
How to Engage
Visit solve.mit.edu to see current challenges. Challenges open and close on specific cycles, typically with a spring deadline. If your KCS Foundation project has a technology angle — a digital literacy platform, a data system for rural education, an app for community health — it may fit a Solve challenge.
Global Changemakers — A Youth-Led Innovation Network
What It Is
Global Changemakers is a youth-led network that supports young people aged 13–25 who are creating positive change in their communities. It is one of the most accessible entry points for young social innovators worldwide, offering grants, mentorship, and a global community of peer changemakers.
Eligibility
- Age: 13–25 years old.
- Location: Open worldwide, with a focus on reaching young people in the Global South.
- What's required: A community change initiative that you are leading, with demonstrated impact or clear potential.
What Global Changemakers Offers
- Grants: Funding to support or scale your initiative (amounts vary by programme cycle).
- Mentorship: Guidance from experienced changemakers and sector experts.
- A global network: Connection to thousands of peer changemakers across 180+ countries.
- Capacity-building: Training in project management, fundraising, advocacy, and leadership.
- Visibility: A platform to share your work with a global audience.
How to Engage
Global Changemakers runs grant and programme cycles throughout the year. Visit their website to find current opportunities. For students new to social innovation, Global Changemakers is often the most accessible first step — the age range is wide, the network is supportive, and the grants are designed for young people just starting out.
World's Children's Prize — The "Children's Nobel Prize"
What It Is
The World's Children's Prize (WCP), based in Sweden, is one of the world's most respected awards for contributions to the rights of children. Often called the "Children's Nobel Prize," it involves millions of children worldwide in a democratic voting process to elect the award recipient, making it unique among global awards.
Eligibility
- The award itself recognises individuals (often adults) who have made outstanding contributions to children's rights.
- Youth engagement: Millions of children and young people participate in the WCP programme through schools — learning about children's rights, voting in the award election, and engaging in child rights advocacy.
What It Offers Young People
- Education on child rights: A structured programme that teaches children about their rights and the rights of peers worldwide.
- A voice: Children participate in a genuine democratic process — voting for the award recipient.
- Advocacy skills: The programme encourages children to become advocates for child rights in their own communities.
- Global community: Connection to millions of peers worldwide through the WCP school network.
How to Engage
Schools can register to participate in the World's Children's Prize programme. If your school is not registered, you can encourage them to join. The programme is particularly valuable for younger students (ages 5–18) as an introduction to global child rights and democratic participation.
How These Programmes Fit Together
For a student building a social innovation profile, these three programmes can complement each other across different stages:
- Starting out (ages 13–18): Global Changemakers offers the most accessible entry — grants, mentorship, and a peer network for young people just beginning.
- Building a technology solution (ages 16–25): MIT Solve challenges reward technology-based solutions with significant funding and MIT network access.
- Engaging younger students (ages 5–18): The World's Children's Prize offers a structured child rights education and democratic participation programme through schools.
How KCS Foundation Projects Support Your Engagement
Across all three programmes, a KCS Foundation partnership gives you a real, documented initiative to point to:
- For MIT Solve: A KCS Foundation project with a technology angle — a digital platform, a data system, an app — can be framed as a Solve solution, with rural Bihar as the pilot site and KCS Foundation's documentation as the evidence of feasibility and impact.
- For Global Changemakers: A KCS Foundation project gives you the community change initiative that Global Changemakers grants are designed to support — with the documentation and impact data to strengthen your application.
- For the World's Children's Prize: KCS Foundation's child-focused education and welfare projects align with the WCP's child rights mission, and the programme can be introduced through schools partnered with KCS Foundation.
Building Your Social Innovation Profile
Start With a Real Problem
Technology for good starts with a genuine social problem — not a cool technology looking for a use. KCS Foundation's rural Bihar projects give you real problems to solve.
Build Something Real
All three programmes reward solutions that are underway, not just planned. A KCS Foundation partnership lets you pilot and document your solution in a real community.
Document Your Impact
Numbers matter. Track beneficiaries, outcomes, and evidence from day one — KCS Foundation's monthly reports give you this automatically.
Apply Across Multiple Programmes
These programmes are not mutually exclusive. A single KCS Foundation technology project could be submitted to a MIT Solve challenge, supported by a Global Changemakers grant, and connected to child rights advocacy through the World's Children's Prize.
Final Advice
The youth social innovation space is one of the most exciting in the world right now — and it's accessible to students far earlier than most people realise. If you're 13–25 and interested in using technology and innovation for social good, start with Global Changemakers (the most accessible entry point), build a real project through KCS Foundation, and then target MIT Solve challenges as your solution matures. These programmes offer funding, mentorship, and global platforms that can launch a lifetime of social innovation. The key — as always — is to build something real first, and let the awards follow.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the youth social innovation award cluster?
This is a group of global awards and platforms that recognise young people who use technology and innovation for social good. The cluster includes MIT Solve, Global Changemakers, and the World's Children's Prize, among others. Each has its own eligibility and prize structure, but all share a focus on youth-led innovation for social impact.
What is MIT Solve?
MIT Solve is an initiative of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that hosts global challenges asking innovators to submit technology-based solutions to pressing social problems. Selected "Solvers" receive funding, mentorship, and access to MIT's network. Some challenges are open to youth and young adult innovators.
What is Global Changemakers?
Global Changemakers is a youth-led network that supports young people aged 13–25 who are creating positive change in their communities. It offers grants, mentorship, and a global network. It is one of the most accessible entry points for young social innovators worldwide.
What is the World's Children's Prize?
The World's Children's Prize (also known as the Children's Nobel Prize) is a Swedish-based award that recognises individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the rights of children. It includes a youth engagement programme where millions of children worldwide participate in the voting and learning process.