Applications are Open
The World Bank Group Youth Summit returns for its 12th edition, inviting young people to engage with the most urgent issues their generation faces, while bringing together thousands of participants from across the globe. This year, the summit will center on innovation in climate action, digital transformation, and the creative industries.
The Youth Summit is the World Bank Group’s largest annual event for youth (ages 18-35) worldwide. It will be held on May 19-20, 2025, featuring activities and engagements both at the World Bank Group headquarters in Washington DC and across various regions.
The mission of the Summit is to:
- Empower youth to explore innovative solutions to development challenges;
- Equip youth with the tools to create and participate in impactful projects; and
- Foster dialogue between youth, the World Bank Group, and other key global stakeholders.
2025 World Bank Group Youth Summit Rest on the Following Theme
- Digital Transformation & Data: Discover how youth leverage technology, including AI and big data, to drive economic growth, bridge the digital divide, and create a future-ready labor market.
- Climate Action & Resilience: Explore innovative solutions for green technologies, smart cities, and sustainable agriculture, showcasing how young leaders can combat climate change while creating job opportunities.
- Creative Industries: Highlight the role of arts, media, and fashion in fostering employment, social and economic change, promoting sustainability, and preserving cultural heritage.
Pitch Competition
The Pitch Competition, a flagship event of the WBG Youth Summit, showcases the transformative power of youth-driven solutions in shaping a sustainable and inclusive future for all. It provides a global stage for young entrepreneurs, change-makers, and innovators to present their unique ideas and solutions to today’s most pressing development challenges.
We encourage submissions from diverse backgrounds and focus areas with a special interest in addressing the following themes:
Theme: New Horizons: Youth-Led Innovation for a Sustainable and Equitable World
Pillar 1: Data Driven Transformation
Pillar 2: Climate Action & Resilience
Pillar 3: Empowering Change through Creative Industries
More information about the themes can be found under the “THEME” Tab.
We invite you to submit your groundbreaking ideas that have the power to make a real difference in the world. This global competition seeks to reward the most innovative projects, so get ready to shape the future with your solutions.
When discussing these subthemes, the Summit will focus on three fresh perspectives on innovation: Underserved populations, Fragility, Conflict, and Violence (FCV), and Partnerships. By spotlighting these areas, the event aims at amplifying diverse voices, fostering innovation for sustainable development, and building collaborative networks to scale impact globally.
Join us in celebrating the creativity, technology, and entrepreneurial spirit of young leaders as they redefine possibilities, impulse new job opportunities, and lead the charge for a more inclusive and resilient world.
Why is it relevant?
85% of the world’s youth live in low- and middle-income countries, with 600 million in fragile or conflict-affected settings. Nearly 800 million young people in developing nations risk being excluded from the job market over the next decade, particularly those from marginalized groups facing barriers due to gender, ethnicity, disability, and other social identities. Despite these challenges, young people are driving innovation, which is a key factor to create new job opportunities, promote inclusion, and tackle climate change.
Youth-led initiatives are already making an impact, such as using real-time data to improve agricultural resilience, launching digital platforms for financial inclusion, and navigating their way into creative industries. These innovations offer new business models and industries, helping to address the rising youth unemployment crisis and solve some development challenges.
The 2025 Summit will focus on amplifying these efforts, particularly in key sectors like education, healthcare, and green technologies. It will highlight how innovation can provide job opportunities and empower marginalized populations, in line with the World Bank Group’s priorities. The Summit aims to foster global partnerships among youth, governments, businesses, and civil society to scale up youth-led solutions, contributing to a more inclusive and sustainable future for young people worldwide.
Visit Our Website for Other Opportunities and APPLY :https://www.worldbank.org/en/events/2025/05/19/youth-summit-2025-new-horizons-youth-led-innovation-for-a-sustainable-and-equitable-world
Ends On: 10th January 2025
