Generation Unlimited Youth Challenge 2018/2019
Overview
SmartUp designed and delivered the first national edition of UNICEF's Generation Unlimited Youth Challenge in North Macedonia, under the theme "Ending Violence Against and Among Children" empowering young people to design innovative solutions to youth violence, community participation, and school bullying. SmartUp ran preparatory workshops and a three-day Design Thinking Bootcamp for 154 young people organized into 40 teams, then delivered a three-month incubation and mentoring programme — backed by seed funding — for the five highest-ranked teams to develop their concepts into viable prototypes.
SmartUp selected two national winning teams to represent North Macedonia on the global Generation Unlimited stage, where Team AndroMeta went on to be named among just five global winners worldwide, out of 32 competing countries — a result that led to SmartUp's extended mentorship of the team's SpeakOut app. The programme established a lasting national model for youth-led social innovation and positioned North Macedonia among the most successful countries in the global Generation Unlimited initiative.
The challenge
Young people often have limited opportunities to participate meaningfully in designing solutions to social challenges that directly affect their lives and communities.
Violence, bullying, cyberbullying, and limited youth participation remained significant challenges requiring innovative, youth-led solutions.
Children and young people with disabilities faced barriers to participation in education and everyday life, highlighting the need for accessible digital solutions.
Young innovators needed structured support, mentoring, and access to funding to transform ideas into viable social innovations with real-world impact.
Activities and methods
1. Engaged 154 young people organized into 40 multidisciplinary teams through the first national Generation Unlimited Youth Challenge focused on preventing violence against and among children.
2. Delivered two preparatory workshops introducing participants to design thinking, research methods, teamwork, and social innovation before the main challenge.
3. Organized an intensive three-day Design Thinking Bootcamp, where 44 participants collaboratively developed 10 innovative solution concepts addressing the three national challenge themes:
- creating support systems that enable victims of violence to seek help from professionals and peers;
- strengthening the inclusion and participation of adolescents and young people in their communities;
- preventing bullying, cyberbullying, and violence in schools, public spaces, and public transport.
4. Supported the five highest-ranked teams through a three-month incubation and mentoring programme, providing expert guidance, business development support, and seed funding to further develop their ideas into viable prototypes.
5. Selected two national winning teams to represent North Macedonia in the global Generation Unlimited competition, while developing promotional materials and supporting their participation in national and international events.
6. Achieved international recognition when AndroMeta was selected among the five global winners of the Generation Unlimited Youth Challenge from a competition involving 32 national teams, securing continued international mentoring and support for further development of its solution.
Impact and learning
The Generation Unlimited Youth Challenge established a national model for youth-led social innovation by demonstrating that young people can become active creators of solutions to complex societal challenges when provided with the right environment, mentoring, and resources. Through design thinking, entrepreneurship, and interdisciplinary collaboration, participants developed practical solutions addressing violence prevention, youth participation, inclusion, and accessibility. Beyond the national competition, the project positioned North Macedonia among the most successful countries participating in the global Generation Unlimited initiative, producing global winners in two consecutive years and showcasing the country's innovation potential internationally. The challenge also strengthened partnerships between young people, public institutions, UNICEF, mentors, and the private sector while creating a sustainable pipeline of youth innovators capable of developing scalable solutions with social impact.
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Outputs
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