Innovation Prize 2026: 8 ways young leaders are transforming their communities

The challenges currently facing the world feel overwhelming. Climate anxiety is rising among young people. Communities are grappling with food insecurity, job loss, cybercrime, worsening pollution and growing pressure on public systems. Trust in institutions is under strain, while many people feel disconnected from the decisions that shape their futures.

But young leaders around the world are not waiting for solutions to these problems. They are combining local knowledge, innovation and civic action to turn community-led solutions into practical models for lasting change.

The 2026 Global Shapers Innovation Prize recognizes these changemakers. Now in its third year, the prize has been awarded to 35 youth-led initiatives in 2024, 2025 and 2026. Previous winners have gone on to scale their solutions, supporting thousands of people and expanding into more than 100 cities and communities worldwide.

Supported by Accenture and the Global Alliance for YOUth, the Innovation Prize recognizes that investing in young leaders is one of the most effective ways to accelerate progress on the issues that matter most to communities.

This year’s cohort reflects the simple truth that young people are not only raising awareness about global challenges, they are putting their own ideas into practice.

Women represent approximately 34% of STEM students in Argentina, yet too few transition into leadership, entrepreneurship or startup creation.

Building on five successful editions of its women-in-STEM leadership programme, Buenos Aires, Argentina’s StemUp has expanded into entrepreneurship incubation to help young women become technology creators and founders. Participants receive innovation training, industry mentorship, seed funding and support to create prototype solutions to community challenges.

Innovation Prize funding will support the next STEMpreneurs cohort and provide seed capital to develop and test early-stage prototypes.

Trinidad and Tobago’s reliance on food imports leaves its communities vulnerable to rising prices, supply disruptions and climate shocks.

Food for You equips 30 emerging farmers and agripreneurs across the Caribbean nation with the skills, tools and networks needed to strengthen local food production and reduce dependence on imports. Participants receive hands-on training in water management, regenerative agriculture, permaculture, composting and agribusiness, alongside support in pricing, planning and market access.

Innovation Prize funding will support training workshops, microgrants for agriculture projects and a replicable model for local food production.

Across the world, conversations about the wellbeing of boys and young men are becoming increasingly urgent. In Namibia, where male suicide rates are rising and youth unemployment is close to 45%, the challenge is especially acute.

Better Boys, Better Men provides mentorship, safe spaces and life-skills for boys aged 16–21 in Namibia. It helps participants build confidence, relationships, emotional resilience and a stronger sense of purpose. By pairing boys with positive role models from their own communities, the programme creates pathways to belonging and opportunity, while redefining what healthy masculinity can look like for the next generation.

Innovation Prize funding will support expansion from 20 to 100 participants, facilitator stipends and participant meals and transport to reduce barriers to involvement.

The more than 400,000 households living in informal settlements on the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia have almost no access to safe green public space.

Ulaanbaatar Oasis transforms everyday water kiosks into community-owned pocket parks, adding trees, seating, weather protection and traffic-safety features to places residents already use. It builds on a 2023 pilot that created 401m² of greenery and planted more than 70 trees in six weeks.

Innovation Prize funding will support new Oasis sites, resident co-design, caretaker training and standardized designs for replication.

Around 60% of Australian youth report significant anxiety around climate change, yet many lack practical pathways to influence climate decisions.

Climate Writers transforms climate concern into civic participation. Through monthly gatherings, participants learn from climate experts, engage with policymakers and develop the skills to advocate for change through letters, submissions and public engagement. The initiative has hosted more than 50 sessions, engaged over 1,000 participants and generated more than 700 personalized letters to elected officials.

Innovation Prize funding will support hub expansion across Australia, helping thousands more young people turn concern into action and build the skills needed to shape climate policy and public discourse.

Delhi experiences some of the world's highest levels of air pollution, with children, older adults and low-income communities often facing the greatest exposure. But commercial air purifiers remain unaffordable for many families and community institutions.

The Climate Emergency Action Project in New Delhi, India produces low-cost, modular HEPA air purifiers that can be assembled locally for approximately ₹1,700. In pilot testing, they have reduced indoor particulate pollution by 75–80%. The model also creates local economic opportunities by engaging women-led self-help groups on assembly and quality control.

Innovation Prize funding will support the deployment of 410 low-cost purifiers across schools, shelters and community spaces, while integrating air-quality monitoring and public education on safe indoor air practices.

Nigeria is home to more than 500 languages, many of which are at risk as native speakers decline and cultural knowledge remains undocumented.

Through Shaping Indigenous Languages, young people are helping communities preserve oral histories, proverbs, songs and everyday speech through community-led digital archiving. Using smartphones, participants create searchable repositories that can support education, translation and AI-enabled language technologies.

Innovation Prize funding will support community training, language documentation, repository development and a train-the-trainer model that can be replicated across languages and communities around the world.

Cybercrime is one of the fastest-growing threats facing older adults and vulnerable populations. Scams, identity theft and AI-enabled fraud cause billions of dollars in losses each year. Beyond financial harm, victims experience a lasting loss of confidence, independence and trust.

Shapers for Cyber Care delivers free cybersecurity workshops in trusted community spaces. It helps participants identify scams, protect personal information and safely navigate an increasingly digital world. In partnership with leading local organizations, the programme combines practical education with pathways to reporting and support services.

Innovation Prize funding will support expansion across New York City's five boroughs, multilingual workshop delivery and the development of a scalable model for use across the US.

The Innovation Prize is a bet on the idea that the people closest to a problem are often closest to the solution.

And these winning groups show that young people are not observers of change. They are innovators, entrepreneurs and community builders – and they are already shaping a more inclusive, resilient and sustainable future.