Youth and Social Innovation
Creating a more inclusive and enabling ecosystem for youth-led social innovation.
Removing systemic barriers, shifting power, and elevating the leadership of young social innovators.
Young change-makers are already driving innovative solutions to today’s most pressing challenges. Yet, many continue to face systemic barriers that limit their potential. This three-year initiative by the Schwab Foundation, in collaboration with the Global Shapers Community. SAP and Hyundai Motor Group, reimagines how the ecosystem can better support youth on their journey toward social innovation. Bringing together 15 Global Shapers, social innovation awardees and key ecosystem partners, the initiative will explore how we can collectively remove barriers, shift power, and build stronger cross-generational collaboration.
Principles
Over three years, the initiative will influence how key institutions recognise, support, and collaborate with youth—ensuring they have the access, agency, and resources to scale their impact and shape the systems that define their future.
Tackle structural barriers
This is not a support programme targeting individuals, but a long-term effort to shift how the ecosystem supports youth.
Non-duplicative
Designed to complement and amplify existing efforts in the ecosystem by convening actors, sharing learnings, and identifying strategic gaps instead of replicating what already exists.
Cross-generational
Fosters dialogue and learning between youth and experienced leaders to strengthen mutual trust and collaboration.
Youth-driven
Young social innovators will help set priorities, design activities, and define what success looks like.
Multi-stakeholder
Rooted in collaboration to co-shape solutions.