First Place

Aidventurers

Uganda 2025

Meliha Selen Besikci, Alpin Ozge Alkan, Sueda Nuran Ozdemir, Ahsen Sueda Akkus, Zeynep Ertuna, Reyhan Mete, Meliha Berra Celik, Bilge Karakas, Hafsa Gunes

Aidventurers, a group of university and high school students from Raindrop of Dallas, led a youth-driven humanitarian initiative in Uganda focused on community development, health, and sustainable empowerment. From July 1–15, 2025, the students worked alongside local community members, schools, orphanages, and community leaders to address identified needs through hands-on service. Their efforts included supporting clean-water wells, providing goats and bicycles to families to promote long-term self-sufficiency, donating school supplies, visiting orphanages, and volunteering in hospitals and clinics, including supporting cataract surgeries. The students raised funds through toy sales, cultural events, bake sales, and community gatherings, engaging their local community in the project. Through collaboration, volunteerism, and cross-cultural exchange, Aidventurers demonstrated how young people can turn shared values of compassion, service, and leadership into meaningful and sustainable impact both locally and globally.

Second Place

Nurturing Hope

Bridging the Digital Divide in San Antonio

Mesut Aliyev, Abdulaziz Imanaliyev, Hilal Altuntas, Esad Boztas, Erkan Tek

Nurturing Hope addressed the digital divide in San Antonio by collecting, repairing, and redistributing damaged and unused technology to families and students lacking reliable access to essential devices. The group partnered with local schools and organizations to collect Chromebooks, then used their technical skills to diagnose and repair hardware and software issues, including damaged screens, batteries, and firmware locks. They also raised funds for repair supplies and advocated for greater awareness of technology inequality, including through a youth statement at the ECOSOC Youth Forum. By connecting community partners and turning unused devices into valuable resources, Nurturing Hope demonstrated how young people can use their skills to expand opportunity and serve their community.

Third Place

ElectConnect

ElectConnect Civic Engagement App

Saurish Tripathi, Gautam Annamalai, Jacob Percy

ElectConnect is a civic engagement app designed to help voters, particularly young and first-time voters, access reliable election information and connect directly with their representatives. The project combines personalized civic information, bias-aware news analysis, live fact-checking, representative and polling-place tools, and accessible voting information in one platform. The team developed the app through a series of milestones, building its personalized news feed, political bias classification model, real-time audio transcription and fact-checking features, and representative finder using public government data. Built with Swift and SwiftUI alongside Python-based backend systems and natural language processing tools, ElectConnect demonstrates how young people can use technology and innovation to strengthen civic participation and make reliable information more accessible to their communities.

Special Recognition for Youth Leadership

LeadUp

US & Kenya Projects

Ekrem Kaya, Zuleyha Akpinar, Aziz Kubhatov

LeadUp is a youth-led service initiative that brings students together to create meaningful impact through local and global service. What began as a small group supporting refugee families in Greece grew into a broader effort involving students across the Mid-Atlantic in volunteer projects, fundraising, and community partnerships. Their 2024 projects included supporting three water wells, a school for children with special needs, an orphanage, solar panel kits, and food distribution efforts in Kenya. In the United States, LeadUp supported INOVA Hospital and the Life with Cancer Family Center through a library renovation, donated more than 400 books and 250 toys, and organized additional community service initiatives. Through sustained engagement and hands-on service, LeadUp has demonstrated how young people can take ownership of civic action and turn their collective efforts into lasting local and global impact.

Special Recognition for International Collaboration

CARE

CARE in Every Corner

Meryem Korkmaz, Elif Ufak, Neva Aksoylu, Hafsa Tek, Neda Oguz, Nihal Civelek, Nimet Bulut, Bahar Yurtdas, Sena Aydin

CARE is a youth-led initiative focused on improving community health and well-being while building meaningful connections across cultures. The group began by serving its local community through health awareness presentations, youth events, and hygiene product drives for people in need. Through participation in the Young Women Global Leadership Program at the University of the Incarnate Word and presentations at United Nations Commission on the Status of Women events, CARE expanded its understanding of global challenges and connected with young women around the world. The group partnered with students and a mentor in Kenya to address the lack of access to menstrual hygiene products among high school girls, raising funds through cookie sales and community festival booths to provide ongoing monthly support for approximately 30 girls. Through sustained collaboration, fundraising, and cross-cultural engagement, CARE demonstrated how young people can turn local service into meaningful global action while developing leadership, empathy, and civic responsibility.

First Place

Student World Impact Film Festival

Mark Leschinsky, Gary Leschinsky, Barbara Leschinsky

In 1 st place, the Student World Impact Film Festival (SWIFF) elevates the voices of young filmmakers from underrepresented communities. Mark Leschinsky, a Stanford University student, founded SWIFF with the help of Gary Leschinsky and Barbara Leschinsky, as an annual film festival aimed at addressing inequality in the film industry, and within the arts more broadly. They were mentored by Kymberly Acuña, school counselor at the Bergen County Academies. In 2023, SWIFF showed 13,890 student-films from 149 countries and has mobilized 996 volunteers to screen eligible films. Leschinksy has fundraised over $200,000 in grants from Google and became Amazon’s first youth distribution partner, circulating a SWIFF film to 100 million viewers. “Stories have a power to transform perspectives, connect people and inspire change,” said Leschinsky.

Second Place

Spread the Vision

Aarushi Guin, Anushka Chowdury, Bomini Chandra

Spread the Vision is a sustainable initiative to gather and distribute used eyeglasses to mitigate the societal impacts of health and education-based disparities for vision care. Aarushi Guin, Anushka Chowdury, and Bomini Chandra, high school juniors from outside of Atlanta, developed and implemented Spread the Vision. They were mentored by Melek Cetinkaya, a teacher at Fulton Science Academy. Spread the Vision established a partnership with Eye Foundation in Kolkata, India. Eye Foundation will use donated glasses from Spread the Vision in July 2024 during a biannual eye camp, which provides free eye care to rural communities in Kolkata.

Co-Third Place

Hopeful Baristas

Leyla Guclu, Aliye Kutlu, Hulya Yazici.

Hopeful Baristas are led by Leyla Guclu, a high school sophomore, and supported by freshmen Aliye Kutlu and Hulya Yazici. All students attend Pioneer Academy in Wayne, New Jersey, and were mentored by Nilgun Atay, an instructor, advisor, and college counselor. The Hopefully Baristas established “A Cup of Hope,” a project that provides scholarships to girls in Kenya. Guclu, Kutlu, and Yazici sourced wholesale coffee from Kenya and partnered with a sponsor organization, the Omeriye Foundation, to sell coffee and connect with the constituents they aim to support.

Co-Third Place

Nurturing Hope

Omer Tunca, Nihat Topcu, Mustafa Nalcaci, Mesut Aliyev, Abdulaziz Imanaliyev

Nurturing Hope, based out of San Antonio, Texas, implemented fundraising initiatives to impact meaningful change for survivors of domestic violence. Team members Omer Tunca, Nihat Topcu, Mustafa Nalcaci, and Abdulaziz Imanaliyev consulted with a Youth Advisory Council to identify local shelter needs and improve facilities through fundraising and organizing book drives. The team was mentored by Dr. Sumeyra Tek, board vice president at the Raindrop Foundation. Nurturing Hope donated more than 5,000 books and hosted a Teen Dating Violence awareness fundraiser to fund the purchase of necessary shelter supplies.

“Passing the Torch”

Community Action for Rising Engagement

Betul Ufak, Seyma Kilic, Meryem Korkmaz, Hafsa Tek, Hatice Goral, Elif Ufak, Neva Aksoylu, Neda Oguz

CARE, a youth-led initiative in San Antonio, is dedicated to improving community health by promoting education, raising awareness of health concerns, and encouraging healthy lifestyles. Their focus on civic engagement aims to unite diverse communities and spark informative conversations through inclusive gatherings. By connecting health professionals with local residents, CARE seeks to address common health issues such as mental health, hygiene, and menstrual health. Through a variety of past and upcoming events, including presentations, seminars, collaborations with health institutions, volunteering, and community runs, CARE demonstrates its commitment to empowering individuals and enhancing overall quality of life in the community.

“Environmental Consciousness”

Youth for EcoJustice

Sueda Teke, Fatima Gurakar,

Youth for EcoJustice aims to address environmental and social issues in the Pittsburgh community by bridging gaps between the Turkish community and local organizations. Their project focuses on organizing ecojustice events to raise awareness about climate change and air quality issues. By involving the Turkish community and partnering with local organizations, they plan to foster networking, inform attendees, and raise funds through auctions featuring traditional Turkish art. Their strategy involves planning events, establishing partnerships, inviting community representatives, and holding interactive activities like planting events and trash cleanups. Through ongoing communication with partners and continued event coordination, Youth for EcoJustice seeks to make a positive impact on environmental issues in the Pittsburgh area.

“Cross-Generational Engagement”

The Butterfly Effect

Elif Cicek, Nilufer Kabul, Nilgun Soysal, Hansa Oguz, Saliha Elif Dogan

The Butterfly Effect’s 2024 project aimed to alleviate loneliness and boredom among seniors at the Sunrise of Cupertino assisted living home by fostering meaningful connections through interactive activities. Their project focused on engaging with seniors through games, acrylic painting, and conversation, allowing participants to share stories about their backgrounds, families, and perspectives on how the world has changed. By exchanging personal experiences, practicing Spanish with a resident, and collaborating on creative projects, volunteers built relationships that emphasized mutual understanding and companionship. Through consistent visits and interactive engagement, The Butterfly Effect sought to create a positive and uplifting environment for the seniors in their community.

Freshman Girls of TASO

Nesibe Ozey, Betul Ucan,

Muhlise Kenc, Nadide Aydin

Freshman Girls of TASO group in Columbus, Ohio who worked together to fundraise scholarships for teens in foster care.

The Herd

Butterfly Effect

Nilufer Kabul, Hansa Oguz,

Nilgun Soysal, Elif Cicek

The Herd group in California raising money to provide homeless individuals hygiene products. After the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria they shifted gears to fundraise for earthquake relief efforts.

ECHO

Husna Akkaya, Zehra Kaya, Mary Mutlu,

Hatice Ozey, Hatice Kucuk, Asude Budak

ECHO group in Columbus, Ohio working with local organizations in identifying key issues in underprivileged areas in their community and working towards solutions. 

Raindrop Foundation Health Education Team

Zeynep Korkmaz, Ceyda Tunca, Ozge Alkan

Raindrop Foundation Health Education Team group in San Antonio, working to provide information on community health issues to immigrant communities that otherwise may not pay attention to normal public health communications channels.

Golden Youth Group

Hatice Kubra , Emine,

Husna , Meryem

Golden Youth group from Ohio, organizing school supply donation drives to help underprivileged youth.