Young Aurora

Presented by the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative in partnership with UWC International, Young Aurora is open to all UWC schools and colleges and, since 2018, the African Leadership Academy. Its mission is to encourage, support, and showcase student-driven projects which address concrete humanitarian issues and offer solutions through innovative and sustainable approaches.

Since its launch in 2017, Young Aurora has given student teams the opportunity to propose projects tackling humanitarian issues in their local communities. Proposals are evaluated based on creativity, sustainability, quality of research and potential for impact. One winning team is selected each year to receive a USD 10,000 grant to further develop their project.

Over the years, Young Aurora has supported student initiatives with lasting impact — from supporting refugees to preventing child abuse and reducing biowaste to protecting coral reefs. You can read about winning and runner-up projects from past years at the bottom of this page.

UWC thanks the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative for their continued support of UWC students in their initiatives for meaningful change – helping them to put gratitude into action. 

Recent highlights

In the most recent edition of the competition, held in March 2025, the winning project was The Chulha Project by UWC Mahindra College. The project introduces clean, locally manufactured cookstoves to reduce indoor air pollution and firewood consumption in rural India — protecting women and children most affected by toxic smoke and contributing to climate resilience through sustainable practices.

Other recent finalists have included:

• Dandelion project (UWC Adriatic), supporting the emotional wellbeing of migrant children through storytelling and workshops;
• TakToon project (UWC Dilijan), creating low-cost, recycled insulation materials for rural homes in Armenia.

Each year, Young Aurora finalists present their ideas to a panel of humanitarians, entrepreneurs and global leaders who offer feedback, mentorship and funding. The programme continues to inspire young changemakers from across the UWC movement to address urgent needs in their communities.

Past Young Aurora Projects