Grades 9–12
High school students nationwide
UNITE
You Belong Here
Youth Innovation & Inclusion Challenge
Build a community where everyone belongs.
A national youth innovation challenge where high school students design and carry out projects that help people feel accepted, valued, respected, and included.
Nationwide
Open to students in all U.S. states
Free to Join
Individual students or teams of 2–3.
Powered by YIP
Register through the Maya's Way Youth Impact Platform
How UNITE Works
Understand · Needs · Include · Team Up · Empower.
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Understand
Understand the community and the barrier to belonging.
Needs
Identify the real needs and define measurable impact goals.
Include
Include people with lived experience in shaping the solution.
Team Up
Collaborate with students, community members, mentors, or organizations.
Empower
Carry out the project, measure its impact, and empower lasting change.
One Question.
How can we help more people feel like they belong?
Every project should solve a real barrier to belonging and create measurable impact.
The UNITE Year
A year-round program. Work at your own pace.
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Build
Now through March 31, 2027
Register in YIP, plan your project, carry it out, and gather evidence of your impact.
Submit
By March 31, 2027
Submit your finished project in YIP.
Vote
April 2027
All eligible projects appear on the showcase. The public votes, and the top five projects become finalists.
Judge
Late April 2027
The Advisory Council scores the five finalists.
Recognize
May 2027
The UNITE winner is announced and recognized.
Design With, Not For
Every project must include lived experience. Teams must collaborate with at least one person who has lived experience related to the community they are serving. This shows the collaboration was real and ensures your solution is informed, respectful, and meaningful.
What Could You Create?
Real ideas. Real impact.
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Connect
Build technology that reduces isolation and helps people form relationships or find community.
Access
Create technology that removes barriers so more people can participate fully in school, work, or community life.
Communicate
Build tools that help people understand, communicate, translate, or express themselves.
Participate
Create technology that makes activities, resources, opportunities, or community spaces easier to find, navigate, or use.
Belong
Build a new technology solution that helps people feel seen, valued, respected, or included.
What You'll Submit
Show us your journey.
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60-second captioned video
A short recap of your project
Cover photo + 3–5 supporting photos
Show your work in action
Short project summary
Your goals, activities and what you created
Impact metrics
Evidence of your results
Lessons learned
What you discovered and what’s next
Lived-experience collaboration
How your partner(s) shaped the project
Showcase & Voting
Real projects. Real people. Real change.
More Than a Seat
Creating more inclusive spaces in schools.
412
Green Together
A community garden for everyone.
298
Bridge to Belong
Peer mentorship for new students.
376
How the Winner is Selected
Five finalists. One winner.
Round 1
Community Vote
The community votes for their favorite projects.
Round 2
Advisory Council
Picks the winner from the top 5 in Round 1.
Projects are scored based on:
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Community Impact
Collaboration with Lived Experience
Creativity & Innovation
Sustainability
Storytelling
Recognition
Every participant receives digital recognition and a feature on our website. One annual winner receives a special prize.
50 Impact Points + Your Choice of Prize
Each winner earns 50 Impact Points and chooses a tech, education, or creative prize valued up to $250, shipped to them.
Your idea can help someone belong.
Real people. Real solutions. A stronger, more inclusive tomorrow.