UNESCO Youth Hackathon 2026
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Ready to shape the future of media? Join the UNESCO Youth Hackathon 2026 to co-design Media and Information Literacy solutions with a global team - tackle AI, education, community impact or an open track, build a proposal and 3-minute pitch to showcase your ideas.
The UNESCO Youth Hackathon 2026 invites young changemakers worldwide to co-design innovative solutions for Media and Information Literacy (MIL) under the theme "Play Your Part: Youth Designing the Future of Media and Information Literacy". Teams (2-6 members) collaborate to develop proposals across challenge tracks such as AI and MIL, MIL education, community impact, youth engagement and an open track.
The competition requires a Proposal Document (PDF or Word) and a short Pitch Video (max. 3 minutes). All registered participants have access to a two-day online mentoring programme (1-2 July 2026) featuring experts in MIL, digital transformation, AI, project development and innovation; live places are limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, with recordings available to all registrants.
The submission window runs from 6 July to 16 August 2026, followed by global evaluation and winner announcement periods. The winning teams will be invited by UNESCO to attend the Voices European Festival of Journalism and Media Freedom in Thessaloniki, Greece (26-28 November 2026) where they will showcase their projects.
The event is open to global youth aged 18-30 and welcomes teams with no prior experience, prioritising inclusion, gender balance and alignment with UNESCO values.
6 July 2026
16 August 2026
Submission closes at 23:59 (Paris Time) on 16 August; late submissions will not be accepted. The page also lists the mentoring programme on 1–2 July, global evaluation from 18 August to 13 September, winner announcement 13–18 September, and winners ceremony 26–28 November.
Dates from the previous cycle. New dates are announced when applications reopen.
1 July 2026 – 2 July 2026
Online Mentoring Programme
6 July 2026 – 16 August 2026
Submission Window
18 August 2026 – 13 September 2026
Global Evaluation
13 September 2026 – 18 September 2026
Winner Announcement
26 November 2026 – 28 November 2026
Winners Ceremony / Voices European Festival
Location
- Teams of 2-6 members (national, regional, or international)
- All team members must be 18-30 years old
- Teams should align with UNESCO’s values, including peace, respect for diversity, and freedom of expression
- Gender balance and inclusion are highly encouraged
- No prior experience required
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