United World Colleges

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 – it supports student-led projects that respond to pressing humanitarian issues with innovative, sustainable solutions.

Since 2017, student teams from participating schools have been invited to submit proposals for projects that address a challenge affecting a nearby community. Proposals are judged on creativity, sustainability, research quality, and potential for impact. One winning team is awarded a grant each year to develop its project further.

Young Aurora has helped students turn their ideas into lasting change – from supporting refugees and preventing child sexual abuse, to reducing biowaste and protecting coral reefs. You can explore past winning and runner-up projects 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

Young Aurora 2024-2025

This year’s winning team, from UWC Mahindra College, impressed the judges with “Chulha” – a project addressing the health risks of traditional mud cookstoves in rural western India. By introducing locally made rocket stoves, the team aims to cut emissions by 86%, halve firewood use and significantly reduce toxic fumes.

The finalists from UWC Adriatic, UWC Dilijan and UWC Mahindra College all showed remarkable creativity and commitment to their communities. The winning team has received 10,000 USD to take their project forward and increase its long-term impact.

Previous winning projects have included:

Enlightenment (2023–2024) – UWC Changshu China: Empowering rural youth through needs-based education
Combili (2022–2023) – UWC Dilijan: Bio-waste disposal and urban gardening
Seed of Hope (2021) – Waterford Kamhlaba UWC: Youth empowerment in refugee camps
Beehive Divide (2020) – UWC East Africa: Tackling human-elephant conflict through innovation

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.