Youth Innovation Programs

Applications openAYWA Winter Innovation Program 2027 · 3–7 January

The program at a glance

What to know before you apply. Tap a card to flip it.

01
Who
9th grade only
Who
9th grade students from across Palestine, working in small teams with mentors.
02
Length
5 days · 10 in summer
Length
Five days in January and April, and an extended ten-day edition in the summer.
03
Where
Ramallah
Where
Sessions run by the AYWA team together with mentors from partner corporates.
04
When
During school breaks
When
Scheduled around school holidays, so it never overlaps with class.

Purpose

Inspire youth across Palestine to become agents of change, using creativity, entrepreneurship, and AI to transform challenges into opportunities for impact.

Mission: Deliver social innovation programs that empower Palestinian youth to solve community challenges, lead initiatives, and contribute to an ecosystem of innovation and impact.
Vision: Generations of Palestinians equipped to use innovation to solve social challenges and shape meaningful change across every sector.

Program structure & timing

Every program lands in a school break, with workshops in between. Pick a season to see its days.

01 / 03Applications open

January

5 days

3–7 JanuaryApply now

School break

Programs run 3 times during the academic year: a 5-day program in January, a 5-day program in April, and an extended 10-day program in the summer.
Workshops run throughout the academic year, in between the main programs.
Every program is scheduled with students' school holidays and breaks, so it never interferes with school hours.

What we teach

Design thinking through a track-based curriculum.

Prompt Engineering

Read, edit, debug.

Use AI tools to research, prototype, and test ideas faster.

Student projects

Teams from the Youth Innovation Program turn community challenges into working ideas.

NeuroTrack

The problem: Parents with neurodivergent kids need a behavior-tracking platform because long waitlists delay crucial care.
The idea: Turning appointment waitlist time into an advantageous process for neurodivergent children via an online platform.

Naqi

The problem: Families aren't invested in reducing their carbon footprint — they believe it's too expensive and struggle to find suitable alternatives to the products they're used to.
The idea: Helping budget-conscious families save time, money, and the environment with discounts on eco-friendly products and actions.

Baladi

The problem: Palestinian consumers need independence from imported products, because local products are psychologically targeted to seem unappealing.
The idea: Helping push local Palestinian farmers to sell and advertise their products.

Nafas

The problem: Teenagers in Palestine need positive coping and emotional support, because stigma and low awareness leave them struggling in silence.
The idea: Giving Palestinian youth a judgment-free space to access mental health support.

The past year

Innovation programs delivered: 0
Applicants: 0+
Students accepted on full scholarship: 0
Sector-specific projects: 0
Sponsors engaged: 0+

Ready to apply?

Applications are open for AYWA Winter Innovation Program 2027.

Apply now

Questions from parents

Who can apply?

The program is only for 9th grade students, from across Palestine.

When and where is the Winter Program?

The AYWA Winter Innovation Program 2027 takes place in Ramallah from 3 to 7 January 2027, during the winter school break, so it never overlaps with school.

What is the AYWA Scholarship?

The program is scholarship-based: every accepted student takes part through the AYWA Scholarship, supported by our partners and sponsors. Contact us with any questions.

All answers for parents