Applications are now open for the 2026 Global Citizen Prize: Cisco Youth Leadership Award to win $250K for impact!
Closing Date: 17 December 2025
Applications are now open for the 2026 Global Citizen Prize: Cisco Youth Leadership Award to win $250K for impact!
Recognizing the World’s Most Inspiring Youth Leaders
The Global Citizen Prize: Cisco Youth Leadership Award was established by Cisco and Global Citizen to recognize an individual aged 18-30 who has contributed meaningfully with technology to help end extreme poverty.
Selected via an application process, the Global Citizen Prize: Cisco Youth Leadership Award honors an individual aged 18-30 who has contributed meaningfully toward the goal of ending extreme poverty. The award includes a $250,000 prize paid to the organization to which the individual contributes. The winner will be announced at Global Citizen NOW in May 2026 in New York City.
Criteria
- IMPACT: Demonstrated track-record of measurable impact at scale over the last 3-5 years advancing one or more of the Global Goals.
- VISION: Compelling vision and concrete plans for how to extend this work in the next 3-5 years, including how the prize will advance efforts.
- CATALYST: Inspires other young people to have an impact on achieving one or more of the Global Goals
- GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP: Demonstrates the values and embodies the spirit of a Global Citizen and a Global Problem Solver
- TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION: Innovates with technology or Internet-based communications to improve efficiency, reach, and magnify impact.
About the Partnership
Cisco and Global Citizen are united in the belief that young people around the world are leading the way to create and implement solutions to achieve the Global Goals, and to accelerate global problem solving. That is why we created the Cisco Youth Leadership Award.
Selection Process
Candidates will be judged against criteria by a group of Global Citizen, Cisco, and independent experts.
Up to five (5) finalists will be selected on or around February 2nd, 2026 and will be required to submit three (3) letters of recommendation. If applying for the Prize, you should have your letters of recommendation ready for submission. Additional supplemental information might also be requested of finalists.
If selected as one of the 5 finalists, you will be judged by a panel of representatives from Global Citizen, Cisco, and esteemed activists and leaders in the international development field.
Global Citizen, Cisco accept applications from all over the world, with the exception of countries and entities subject to financial or other sanctions by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) or other government entities of the United States of America that may restrict the transfer of the Prize money.
What is needed for the application?
The application consists of four parts: (1) About You: Personal and Organization Information, (2) Pitch (3) Description of how your work aligns with the Judging Criteria (4) Supplemental Organizational Details.
- For the first part, you will be required to submit basic information about you and your organization and a scanned copy of your passport.
- For the second part, you must explain why you deserve this award and provide us with a 1-2 minute video of your pitch.
- For the third part, you will be required to answer 5 short answer questions about your work and you will describe in 250 words or less, how you have achieved each one of the Prize’s criteria.
- And for the fourth part, you will submit proof of your organization’s registration details including the certificate of registration, incorporation or tax exemption and other supplemental information.
Applications open for submission on November 5th, 2025 10:00am PT and close on at 5:00 PM PT. All application submissions will be reviewed against Award criteria.
Click Here To Apply
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