It’s a wrap on the 2024 AFS Youth Assembly! Hundreds of dynamic young global citizens from over 80 countries gathered in New York City over the last three days aspiring to Forge Our Shared Future and take important actions towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. We are certain that each and every one of them will go on to make an impact in their communities.
Feel the atmosphere of the event: see the photos here.
Here’s a recap of some of the best highlights from this year’s event:
An International Youth Day Celebration
Many of the AFS Youth Assembly Delegates loved joining the International Youth Day Celebration on August 16 organized by AFS Intercultural Programs and Permanent Mission of Malta to the UN. Powerful youth voices took the stage, sharing their realities, impact and hopes for the future inspiring everyone to take action in their communities and the world.
The event highlighted the importance of youth participation in the upcoming Summit of the Future and the Pact for the Future, underscoring the critical role of young people in shaping a secure and inclusive future. The event was organized in collaboration with the United Nations International Organization for Migration (UN IOM), UNESCO and UN Habitat.
Find out more and watch the recording here.
Program Packed with Engaging Sessions
Powerful discussions took place at the AFS Youth Assembly! More than 30 different panels and sessions explored the future of education, climate action, food security and humanitarian crises. The SDG Zone delivered by DHL featured engaging activities about SDGs and inspired our Delegates in their own action and impact journeys. The Delegates engaged with exhibitors and learned a lot about advancing their education and career prospects at the Opportunities Fair. Action & Impact Hub, and the Collaboration Hub stand out as program highlights for interactive activities that put the work of young leaders at the center.
We are especially grateful to all our program partners for their contributions, and our sponsors for providing scholarships that made the AFS Youth Assembly a more diverse and inclusive event.
Specialized Program Tracks in Partnership with Leading Institutions
A select number of participants joined different Academies even before the AFS Youth Assembly conference started. These enriching program tracks offer a comprehensive theme-based experience beyond the flagship conference with a series of seminars, organization site visits and exclusive special events to facilitate learning, connection, engagement and action beyond the conference.
Academies focused on Climate Entrepreneurship (delivered by the New York University (NYU) School of Professional Studies, Center for Global Affairs), Changemaking (delivered by the Center for Social Impact Strategy at the University of Pennsylvania), Global Education (supported by AFS-USA) and International Affairs. 125 Delegates received scholarships to join these programs, thanks to the support of bp, and AstraZeneca provided additional scholarships and support for the Climate Entrepreneurship Academy.
Launching the Alumni Impact Network
AFS is proud to launch the Youth Assembly Alumni Impact Network Community, designed to accelerate young people’s impact both regionally and globally. This initiative offers our alumni opportunities that: support action and impact, give access to seed funding, promote regional collaboration, showcase their achievements and develop skills.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Distinguished Alumni Award Winner
Dr. Sabrina Ho, Vice Chair Board Of Directors at Dr. Stanley Ho Foundation is an extraordinary advocate for cultural and educational development in Macau, and with over a decade of experience spearheading operational activities at prestigious international enterprises and organizing fundraising efforts focused on advancing the arts and empowering women. This award recognizes the outstanding contributions and achievements of our alumni who have used their world-changing potential and deep care for humanity to make a significant impact. Find out more.
AFS Award for Young Global Citizens Winner
Congrats to Diego Enrique Fernandez Irrazabal of Paraguay for his project Mbaretics. The main purpose of his project is to bring potable and safe water to the community of Chaco, who struggle to find pure drinking water, by developing a small, portable desalination device powered by solar panels. The AFS Award for Young Global Citizens recognizes young people for their commitment to improving the global community and whose actions contribute to a more just, peaceful, and tolerant world. The winner receives a $10,000 prize. Meet all the AFS Award finalists.
Recognitions for Outstanding Contributions
The winner of the Outstanding Youth Delegate award is Nadia Sarkis Rojas from Costa Rica. She was selected through a rigorous selection process from the hundreds of delegates and Has demonstrated understanding and commitment towards global development and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals. Her has excellent leadership capabilities and a proven track record of exceptional achievements related to youth engagement, social action and sustainable development solutions.
DHL Supports Young Leaders
The winner of the DHL Young SDG Leader Award: dedicated to youth tackling sustainability in sub-saharan africa is Maria Nelago Kanyama of Namibia for her project, “Smart Water Network Monitoring with Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Management.” Her project aims to revolutionize water management by developing an advanced anomaly detection system for water networks using artificial intelligence.
Winners of SDG Zone: Storytelling Competition were Anita Nhyira Bondzie from Ghana, and Fabricio Madrigal from Costa Rica, for presenting the best Story of Impact. A huge thanks to DHL for their generous support of young people working to advance the SDGs.
Outstanding Youth Assembly Ambassadors
This year, there were 40 Ambassadors and we recognized the following those among them for their outstanding work: Delton Domah, Liberia/USA; Roman Gojayev, Azerbaijan; Khaled Abdulwahed, Canada; Kwamena Hammond, Ghana; Prajwal Bhandari, Nepal; Dana Al-Anzy, Qatar; Layan Albraik, Saudi Arabia; Miguel Ángel Ortega Mateos, Spain; and Daniela Coll Ross, Costa Rica.
Youth Assembly Ambassadors are students and young professionals from around the world who are looking to become pioneers in their community, help youth have a voice at the global stage and represent the mission of the AFS Youth Assembly.
A Celebration of Cultures
The Closing Ceremony ended with energizing musical performances by the Kendall Ramseur, Yeti Foundation, Bobby B and Batala. They got the Delegates on their feet dancing and excited for the CultureFest where they showcased national attires and local cultures.
Join us in 2025: Apply now for the AFS Youth Assembly taking place on August 8-10, 2025 in New York City!
The 2024 AFS Youth Assembly was supported by:
