From a $25,000 Charlemagne Prize research fellowship to shape Europe's future and up to 30 fully funded master's scholarships at McGill, Canada's #1 university, to a UNESCO Youth for Peace leadership programme with a $10,000 community-initiative grant, a UNESCO hackathon on media literacy with a trip to Greece, the Girls Go STEM space-design challenge, the European Environment Agency's nature-resilience photo competition, and a fully funded plant-forward food-systems youth exchange in Romania — this batch of 10 global opportunities is all about money, mentorship and platforms to turn a young person's idea into real impact.
These aren't volunteering placements: they're grants, fellowships, scholarships and competitions, several worth serious money and open to applicants worldwide. The earliest closes 19 July, and the calendar runs through to 30 August 2026.
What's in this batch:
3 Fellowships & Grants · 2 Scholarships · 4 Competitions & Hackathons · 1 Youth Exchange · Prizes up to $25,000 + Fully Funded Degrees
🏆 Fellowships, Grants & Leadership Programmes
🌍 Global — Drive Intercultural Dialogue with UNESCO's Youth for Peace Leadership Programme 🕊️ (Includes $10,000 grant)
📅 Deadline: 19 July 2026
UNESCO's flagship leadership programme equips emerging leaders to turn intercultural dialogue into real change. Get training, mentorship, a global network, and a $10,000 grant to run your own community initiative on human connection in the age of AI — a global platform and the funding to act on it.
🇪🇺 Europe — Shape Europe's Future with the Charlemagne Prize Fellowship 💡 (Up to €25,000)
📅 Deadline: 31 July 2026
Got a bold idea for a better Europe? The Charlemagne Prize Fellowship funds young researchers, policy experts and innovators to run a one-year, non-resident research project. Receive up to €25,000, a mentor, and a platform to present your work to top European decision-makers — the biggest prize in this batch, and a direct line to Europe's leaders.
🌍 Global — Protect the Ocean and Climate with the True Blue Fellowship 🌊 (Up to $2,500)
📅 Deadline: 30 August 2026
Young creatives worldwide: use your art to protect the ocean, waterways and climate with the True Blue Fellowship. Receive up to $2,500 in funding, mentorship, and a global community to turn your creative vision into real impact in your community — funding for art that actually moves the needle on climate.
🎓 Fully Funded Scholarships
🇨🇦 Canada — McCall MacBain Scholarship: Fully Funded Master's at McGill University 🍁 (Fully funded)
📅 Deadline: 19 August 2026
Up to 30 full scholarships and 100 entrance awards for a fully funded master's at McGill University, Canada's #1 university, covering full tuition plus a living stipend. Open to national and international students from over 150 countries for Summer and Fall 2027 — a fully funded degree at one of the world's great universities.
🌍 Global — Women's Scholarship for International Students 📚 (Up to $5,000)
📅 Deadline: 28 August 2026
Are you a woman planning to study abroad? Educations.com is offering up to $5,000 toward tuition for international female students starting undergraduate, graduate or post-graduate studies. Open to women from any country, with a short application — a short application for a real shot at funding your studies.
🎬 Competitions, Contests & Hackathons
🇪🇺 Europe — Design for a Cleaner, Safer Space in the Girls Go STEM Challenge 🚀 (Win a trip to the STEM Forum 2026)
📅 Deadline: 27 July 2026
Calling schoolgirls across Europe! Form a team, tackle the challenge of "Keeping space clean and safe," and design a real engineering solution. The winning team in each country wins a trip to the Women and Girls in STEM Forum 2026 — turn a space-engineering idea into a trip and a platform.
🇪🇺 Alpine Region — Pitch Your Idea for a Sustainable Future with EUSALP 🏔️ (Win up to €5,000)
📅 Deadline: 8 August 2026
Young people of the Alps: got an idea to make your region more sustainable, digital and future-ready? Pitch it to EUSALP. The top 5 present at an international forum, and the three best win prize money plus expert mentorship to make it happen — turn a napkin sketch into a funded, mentored project.
🇪🇺 Europe — Capture Nature's Resilience in the EEA's "Resilient by Nature" Photo Competition 🌿 (Win up to €1,000)
📅 Deadline: 10 August 2026
The European Environment Agency invites photographers to tell the story of nature's resilience through three themes: Harmony, Disruption and Renewal. Win cash prizes, including a dedicated Youth Prize, and have your work featured across Europe. Entry is free — a free entry, a €1,000 prize and Europe-wide exposure.
🌍 Global — Design the Future of Media and Information Literacy with UNESCO's Youth Hackathon 📱 (Win a trip to Greece)
📅 Deadline: 16 August 2026
Young changemakers worldwide: team up to tackle AI, disinformation and hate speech, and co-design solutions to advance Media and Information Literacy. Get free expert mentoring, a UNESCO certificate and the chance to win a trip to Greece. No experience needed — a UNESCO certificate, mentoring and a trip, for a weekend of ideas.
🌱 Youth Exchange
🇷🇴 Romania — Building Sustainable and Plant-Forward Food Systems in Eastern Europe 🥗 (Fully funded)
📅 Deadline: 26 July 2026
Build more sustainable and just food systems with young activists from across Eastern Europe! This fully funded international activity in Romania explores how citizens can help shape better, more plant-forward food policies, and opens the door to an online course, follow-up workshops and micro-grants. Open to applicants from 26 countries across Eastern Europe and its neighbours — a fully funded exchange that keeps giving in courses and micro-grants.
Ten global opportunities in a single batch — and this one is all about turning a young person's idea into something real, with money and mentorship behind it. A $25,000 Charlemagne Prize research fellowship, up to 30 fully funded master's scholarships at McGill, a UNESCO Youth for Peace leadership programme with a $10,000 grant, a UNESCO hackathon with a trip to Greece, the Girls Go STEM space-design challenge, the European Environment Agency's nature-resilience photo competition, and a fully funded plant-forward food-systems exchange in Romania — these are not opportunities you'll see grouped together again.
Unlike most of what we post, almost none of these require you to go anywhere long-term: the fellowships and competitions are mostly non-resident or online, and several are open to applicants from anywhere in the world. The money ranges from a €1,000 photo prize to a fully funded McGill degree, so there's something here whether you're a schoolgirl with an engineering idea, a young researcher with a vision for Europe, a photographer, a creative environmentalist or a would-be master's student. The UNESCO leadership programme closes first on 19 July, and the calendar runs through the Charlemagne Fellowship and both scholarships to the True Blue art fellowship on 30 August. Choose yours.
