Commonwealth Youth Awards open for 2013 nominations

Each year CYP of the Commonwealth Secretariat funds Commonwealth Youth Awards in UK. Students of commonwealth countries are eligible for this award.

The Commonwealth Youth Awards, which encourage and sustain investment in youth-led development, are open for 2013 nominations.

Youth workers are encouraged to nominate young people, who are driving innovative projects in any number of areas, including agriculture, small enterprise, skills training, climate change/environment protection, sustainable livelihoods and poverty reduction.

The Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP), promotes the awards as an attempt to raise the profile and highlight the contribution of young people who are integrally involved in the process of change and are working side by side with decision-makers for a more secure future. The awards also give international, regional and national recognition to the young men and women who are selected.

Area of Concentration

The award is provided to study in Agriculture, small enterprise, skills training; Arts and culture; Education, peer education; Enterprise development/youth employment; Climate change/environment protection; Health and well being, including work on HIV/AIDS ; Human rights and democracy; Information and communications technology; Journalism, media, public awareness; Peace building; Science and Technology; Sport for Development and Peace; Sustainable livelihoods and poverty reduction.

Number of Awards

CYP works with 54 Commonwealth member countries through four regional centres based in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and the Pacific.

There will be four finalists per Commonwealth region with the top entry from each region receiving a regional winner award and the top regional winner receiving the pan-Commonwealth award.

Prize for Winners

Winners are awarded grants to advance the work of their projects and they also liaise closely with the CYP on the best way to use the funding.

The regional finalists will each receive a £1,000 grant, a trophy and a certificate. The regional winners will receive an additional £2000, a trophy and a certificate and the Pan Commonwealth winner will receive an extra £2000, a trophy and a certificate. The Regional Winners from each region will be invited to receive their awards at an official ceremony.

Eligibility: Young people from the Commonwealth aged between 15 and 29 years are eligible for the awards. Grants will be awarded to advance the work of the winners’ projects, with support from CYP on the best way to use funding.

Selection Criteria:

• Quality of impact;
• Level of innovation/fresh approaches to problem-solving;
• Quality of achievement by the nominee;
• Quality of the evidence provided.
• Sustainability: building the capacity of future generations to meet their own needs.

Application deadline

Applications close on 30 June 2013.

Evans Wadongo won both the pan-Commonwealth and Africa region 2012 Commonwealth Youth Awards. He received a £5,000 grant for the charity he founded, ‘Use solar, save lives’. Regional winners for Asia, the Caribbean and the Pacific each won a £3,000 grant.

2013 Commonwealth Youth Awards Brochure

Provider: Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP) of the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Notification: Finalists will be contacted directly. If applicants do not hear from Commonwealth Secretariat, it means that their nomination has not been successful. Regional finalists will be announced on 30 August 2013.

Visit award webpage for details