UNESCO and K-pop band SEVENTEEN deepen their partnership to support youth-led projects

Since its launch in 2024, “Going Together” has already supported 100 youth-led projects in 64 countries, benefitting more than 21,000 people directly and engaging over 1.2 million online. The new Scale-Up Phase, which focuses on 10 outstanding projeccts selected from among the initial 100, will help them to expand their reach and generate long-term impact across a wide range of areas, including climate education, youth empowerment, the arts, mental health, social inclusion and cultural heritage preservation.

When? Thursday 25 June, 10-11.30 a.m. 

Where? Room 1 UNESCO Headquarters. 

All members of the press should arrive by 09.30 and enter at 125 Avenue Suffren, Paris, 75007

• What?  The launch of the Global Youth Grant Scheme Scale-Up Phase. 

• Who?  Dr. Khaled El Enany, Director General of UNESCO, JOSHUA, SEVENTEEN artist, ten youth leaders from around the world (see some bios below). 

• Press Accreditation: please apply via this online form by 24 June.

The event will feature the participation of JOHSUA, a member of the group SEVENTEEN, who has been actively engaged in UNESCO youth advocacy initiatives and global outreach. SEVENTEEN was appointed UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Youth in June 2024 and has since supported the creation and expansion of this global grant scheme, including fundraising efforts to enable the 2026 scale-up phase. 

Grantees from around the world will also be available for interviews upon request, including:

Mary Rose Pagador: Project Palabasa (Philippines) Built a community library from scratch in Barangay Particion in under a year, reaching 350 beneficiaries with a 600-book collection. Students who couldn't identify letters are now forming sentences. The 2026 scale-up expands to four communities, targeting 500 students, training parents and educators as reading advocates, and adding digital literacy, zine-making, and community theatre.

Ekaette Frank: FACE (Nigeria) Ran a 5-week intensive programme training 200 young people (60% female) in filmmaking, screenwriting, and content creation in Uyo, and all 200 graduated. Seven received seed grants and internships at a state government media house, with multiple alumni now employed in the media industry. The 2026 scale-up repeats the model with a new cohort of 200, adds a collaborative production phase and public showcase, and brings 2025 alumni back as mentors.

Aaron Matias Salazar Rios: Color y Coraje (Mexico) Delivered "Resilience Circles against Racism" across 12 schools in Nuevo León and Oaxaca, reaching 310+ students including indigenous and migrant youth. Before: no students in some schools could define racism, 75% felt excluded. After: 73% could define racism, 87% felt inspired to pursue their aspirations. The 2026 scale-up extends to three new states, adds teacher training, scholarship guidance, and sports-based activities.