The International Baccalaureate is doing a lot to help people around the world through the Global Youth Action Fund. This fund is a part of what the International Baccalaureate does to help young people make a difference in their communities. The Global Youth Action Fund has been around since 2023. Has already helped over 400 projects that were started by more than 760 young people from all over the world. This shows that more and more young people are coming up with ideas and taking action to make their communities better.
The Global Youth Action Fund has just finished its 2026 cycle. It was a really big deal. The International Baccalaureate got a record number of applications. 1,110. From 103 countries. This was the applications they have ever gotten and it shows that young people are really excited about making a difference. A group of people from, around the world including teachers and young leaders looked at all the applications. They picked the projects based on what they were trying to do how creative they were what kind of impact they would have and how well they worked with others. The International Baccalaureate and the Global Youth Action Fund want to make sure that the projects they choose are new and exciting and will keep making a difference for a time.
The projects that were chosen for the 2026 cohort really stand out because they are ambitious and diverse and they focus on the community. Young leaders from parts of the world are working on things like making sure everyone has access to education getting resources to people who need them treating men and women equally and helping people become better leaders. In India Geet Potdar created a course to teach international relations and public speaking to students who are blind at a local centre for blind people. This is an idea because it helps make things more inclusive and it also teaches students important skills like communicating and analyzing information.
In the United States Jason Adeyemi started a project called “Shoeless Ones” that collects shoes and gives them to people who cannot afford them. This project is happening in the United States and Nigeria. It is helping young people play sports and be active without feeling embarrassed or left out. n Brazil Luiza Vieira Caleia started the Girls Biology Olympiad which’s a project that encourages girls in high school to study biology and other sciences. This is important because it helps get more girls interested in science and makes sure that girls have the opportunities as boys.In Peru Gabriela Pizarro Arteaga is, in charge of LXT: YACHAY CHA’MA which’s a movement that finds and helps young leaders from indigenous communities. This project is special because it combines culture with leadership skills and it helps empower communities while also making sure that old ways of knowing things are not forgotten.
These are a few examples of how the Global Youth Action Fund is helping projects that are different and focus on local issues but also help with bigger global problems. The Global Youth Action Fund is supporting the Global Youth Action Fund projects that are making a difference.
The projects that were chosen for the 2026 group will start in June. Go on until December 2026. During this time the people in the program will get help, guidance and chances to work with people from all around the world. This program is set up to help the projects succeed and also teaches people important skills like being a good leader working in a team and solving problems.
The Global Youth Action Fund is much in line with what the United Nations wants to achieve with their Sustainable Development Goals, especially when it comes to things like good education treating everyone fairly and making communities sustainable. By giving people the power to do something about the issues they care about the Global Youth Action Fund is helping to build societies that are more fair and can deal with problems better.
The Global Youth Action Fund is getting bigger and more successful which shows that young people are playing a role in making changes. With more people participating in 2026 than before and a wide range of projects that are really making a difference the program shows that education is not just about what you learn in school but also about making a real difference in the world. The International Baccalaureate is not just helping students do well in school. Also helping to create a generation of people who care about the world and want to make it a better place, which is what the Global Youth Action Fund is all, about.