Applications are open for the Rise Challenge 2024 for Young People worldwide. Rise is a program that finds promising young people and provides opportunity for life as they work to serve others. The program starts at ages 15–17 and encourages a lifetime of service and learning by providing support that includes need-based scholarships, mentorship, networking, access to career development opportunities, and the potential for additional funding as Rise Global Winners work toward solving humanity’s most pressing problems.

An initiative of Schmidt Futures and the Rhodes Trust, Rise is the anchor program of a $1 billion commitment from Eric and Wendy Schmidt to find and support global talent.

Benefits

• Residential Summit: One fully funded in-person residential summit with other members of the Rise Global Winner cohort. Attendance at this summit is required to maintain Global Winner status.
• Higher Education Scholarships: A four-year, post-secondary education scholarship, including tuition and a living stipend, based on need and where not already covered by financial aid.
• Funding for Ideas on a Competitive Basis: Opportunity to apply for funding to experiment with innovative ideas to address major problems in local communities or around the world—ranging, for example, from seed money to start a social enterprise to a grant for a non-profit. Funds will be available competitively to Winners and Finalists.
• Networking Matching: Access to a network of other Global Winners, community members, and partner organizations, as well as career development programming, delivered primarily through technology (via our matching platform).
• Starter Technology Packages: A technology package, such as a laptop or tablet, to be determined and issued immediately before or during the first semester/term of post-secondary education.

Eligibility

• Applicants for the 2024 cohort must be between the ages of 15 and 17 as of July 1, 2024, meaning they are born on or between July 2, 2006 and July 1, 2009.
• It does not matter what part of the globe you come from, or academic experience you have. Whether you are interested in science, innovation, technology, art, policy, community organizing, or any other discipline—they want to hear from you.

Rise finds promising young people and provides opportunity as they work to serve others throughout their lifetime. They understand that economic barriers are not the only challenges that keep exceptional people from serving others throughout their lives.

Criteria

Rise Global Winners hail from around the world and demonstrate brilliance in a range of disciplines. Some may excel in STEM fields, others may show outstanding artistic ability, and others may have a gift for community service and organizing.

All Rise Global Winners demonstrate the five Rise Traits:

• Brilliance
• Perseverance
• Integrity
• Empathy
• Calling

Application

The Rise application is a multistep process that gives you an opportunity to tell the organisers more about yourself. Applicants can showcase their potential through videos, projects, and group interviews as part of the Rise application. They also offer alternate low-tech pathways through web-browser and paper applications for applicants without technology access.

Click here to apply

For more information, visit Rise Challenge.