Global

FunDoo is a digital life coach that equips young people with 21st-century, employability, and green skills and provides information on mental health and immunization. Available on a wide array of platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Messenger, Viber, Telegram and SMS, FunDoo prepares young people for the future.   Since its launch in 2021, FunDoo…, Dimension and results  , Recommendations , Iteration , Innovation: FunDoo is a new and valuable concept.    FunDoo stands out because of the Fundoo character/persona, which is friendly, empathetic, and encouraging for a young learner.         FunDoo has gamification features like badges, points, and certificates and uses byte-sized activity-based learning modules, which are 30 to 45 minutes long, to…

FunDoo is a digital life coach equipping young people with 21st century, employability, and language skills and preparing them for their future. By 2030, about 825 million children are expected to leave school without basic secondary-level skills. With a prevailing global skills shortage, worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting from…, Our Approach, In 2021, FunDoo launched in India to address vaccine misinformation during the pandemic. Since then, the platform has evolved to become a global skills and knowledge building solution for young people.  FunDoo has multiple distinctive pedagogical and technical features:  Learning by doing_Icon Learning by doing The platform content is based on the…

From 2016-2020, less than 6 per cent of global development aid was targeted to work on adolescent girls. Increased investments in girl-centred programs are urgently needed to bridge gender gaps in education, digital literacy, and life skills training.  Through the Game Changers Coalition , UNICEF is collaborating with the gaming and technology…, In her first game jam, Milene has learned coding, problem-solving, and built her confidence by being part of a community of girls who are passionate about games like her in Recife, Brazil., domarrrrrrr Young girls during the three-day game jam in Almaty, Kazakhstan. They have participated in inspirational sessions about women's empowerment and have gained transferable skills during the game jam. Young girls during the three-day game jam in Almaty, Kazakhstan. They have participated in inspirational sessions about women's empowerment…, Young girls during the three-day Game Jam in Almaty, Kazakhstan. They participated in inspirational sessions about women's empowerment and gained transferable skills during the Game Jam., Ruslan Kostrykin Beyond building confidence and developing transferable skills, the game jam in Armenia has inspired these young girls with stories of empowerment and role models.  Beyond building confidence and developing transferable skills, the game jam in Armenia has inspired these young girls with stories of empowerment and role models. , Young girls participating in the Game Jam held in the Gyumri Technology Center in Armenia. Beyond building confidence and developing transferable skills, the game jam in Armenia has inspired these young girls with stories of empowerment and role models. , Ginosyan Menghorng, Game Changers Coalition Ambassador and young leader from Cambodia, has supported us in delivering the Training of Trainers to teachers who will implement the program in five schools. Menghorng, Game Changers Coalition Ambassador and young leader from Cambodia, has supported us in delivering the Training of Trainers to teachers…, Menghorng, Game Changers Coalition Ambassador and young leader from Cambodia, has supported us in delivering the Training of Trainers to teachers who will implement the program in five schools. Having students helping teachers learn is a game changer for her and her teachers, where everybody wins., Daravatey Seng In her first game jam, Milene has learned coding, problem-solving, and built her confidence by being part of a community of girls who are passionate about games like her in Recife, Brazil. Young girls during the three-day game jam in Almaty, Kazakhstan. They have participated in inspirational sessions about women's empowerment and…

There are 1.8 billion young people today, with nearly 90% residing in low- and middle-income countries. This generation of young people is the largest in history.  UPSHIFT is a social innovator accelerator for young people aged 10-24 years that rapidly unlocks their generational potential to create real and tangible change in their lives and their…, The Approach, From the outset, UPSHIFT was designed to be modular and adaptable to meet the unique user needs and objectives. Through co-creation with local stakeholders, the UPSHIFT learning journey is adapted and built using an approach that strengthens and connects with the existing local ecosystems.  Rooted in 7 core principles, UPSHIFT synergistically…, The Innovator Journey, The UPSHIFT learning journey is based on best practices in non-formal, experiential, and enterprise education. Throughout 20-30 learning hours, it combines mentorship, workshops, and an entrepreneurial challenge. It can be delivered in different formats, from in-person boot camps to blended in-person and digital learning based on highly…, Results, UPSHIFT is continually responding to a global need and is now operational in 47 countries worldwide. As of December 2023, over 95 million learning hours have been completed by over 4.1 million young people who undertook an UPSHIFT journey.   UPSHIFT current and prospective countries Driven by a purpose to promote equity and inclusivity, currently…, Since the beginning of full-scale war in Ukraine, UNICEF’s UPSHIFT programme has enabled more than a hundred teams from all over Ukraine to implement projects aimed at overcoming the consequences of the war., UNICEF/UN0789491/Maiorov Oxinah, 18, is taking part in the UPSHIFT training course in the Analanjirofo region in the "Cutting and Sewing" category. Oxinah, 18, is taking part in the UPSHIFT training course in the Analanjirofo region in the "Cutting and Sewing" category., The primary objective of this bootcamp is to enhance the technical and entrepreneurial prowess of these teenagers across four distinct areas of activity: agro-food processing, solar panel technology, garment crafting, and telephone repair., UNICEF/UNI441169/Andriantsoarana A student of Gaselo Central School in Wangdue district in western Bhutan holds a prototype of their UPSHIFT project, a cold storage to store the school’s vegetables and food supplies. A student of Gaselo Central School in Wangdue district in western Bhutan holds a prototype of their UPSHIFT project, a cold storage…, A student of Gaselo Central School in Wangdue district in western Bhutan holds a prototype of their UPSHIFT project, a cold storage to store the school’s vegetables and food supplies., UNICEF/UN0748469/Samdrup Vitalii, an 18-year-old college student and Upgrade team member from Ternopil in VR glasses. Vitalii, an 18-year-old college student and Upgrade team member from Ternopil in VR glasses., The VR sessions are run by ‘Upgrade’, an UPSHIFT youth project that holds meetings for displaced children in the city of Ternopil., UNICEF/UN0678718/Filippov Sofia (18), Ielizaveta, Veronika and Olha are training to be psychologists at the university in Kropyvnytskyi Oxinah, 18, is taking part in the UPSHIFT training course in the Analanjirofo region in the "Cutting and Sewing" category. A student of Gaselo Central School in Wangdue district in western Bhutan…, SCALING FOR SUSTAINABLE IMPACT THROUGH NATIONAL EDUCATION SYSTEMS  , Governments worldwide acknowledge the workforce's changing needs and the importance of adaptable individuals. As a result, they are implementing policies to enhance their education systems and promote the development of essential 21st-century skills. There is an urgent need to accelerate education reform by building the competencies of both…, Opportunities for Partnership & Investment, Centred around supporting young social innovators and making their voices heard, UPSHIFT represents a powerful opportunity for global, regional, and local collaboration between the private sector, government, and civil society partners.  By investing in UPSHIFT, forward-thinking organizations can directly contribute to our collective commitment to…, LEGACY PARTNERS, UPSHIFT Partners

Ndapile Mkuwu was born in Malawi’s Mangochi District. As a young person passionate about science and the natural world, she enrolled in the University of Malawi’s geology department. Throughout her studies, Ndapile’s curriculum exposed her to the science of soil, minerals, water and natural resources. However, it wasn’t until she began…

As a young student, Alexander Mtambo was passionate about technology. Graduating with honours in Electronics and Computer Engineering from the University of Malawi, he gained practical experience working with Telkom Networks Malawi Limited in the Radio Access Network department.  Working with the team that installed 4G networks in more than ten…

“If you–people of a certain age–would make some effort to just stay in touch with sort of basic, modern-day events, then your kids wouldn’t have to take these drastic measures.”  N. Stephenson, Snow Crash Billions of young people will be dealt digital cards that people of a certain age are currently shuffling. A Global Digital Compact , widely…

Coming generations of young people will live and grow in a world of rapidly evolving technology. Today, they exist in a digital environment that creates and defines the socio-economic fabric of their communities. With access to technology, young people have the potential to become the architects, designers and innovators of our collective digital…

Each Summer/Fall, the UNICEF Office of Innovation welcomes talented interns to lend their expertise in supporting our current and future projects. Over the course of three months, our 2021 interns have enriched our work and culture with their fresh perspectives, unique personalities, and creative ideas.  Instead of keeping them all to ourselves,…, Ida Delphine, Full Stack Development Intern (Open Source), Venture Fund , Hello, you can call me Ida. I am currently studying Computer Engineering at the University of Bamenda in Cameroon. I love solving problems with code as well as getting more people into tech. In addition, I love working with a diverse set of people while sharing ideas and learning new things.  On joining the (Office of Innovation) madness: What…, Kristina Tlusty, Design Intern , Hi there! I’m Kristina. I am a recent 2021 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where I studied Graphic Communications, and had the pleasure of working remotely with UNICEF’s Office of Innovation from my hometown in Minnesota.  On joining the (Office of Innovation) madness: Throughout college, I had various opportunities to apply my…, Edil Baiyzbekov, Full-Stack Development Intern, DPG Team , Hi, I’m Edil!  I used to work as a video producer and data journalist in Kyrgyzstan. I mostly covered social inequalities, political and environmental issues. Then I moved to Ukraine and rethought my career. Now I am synthesizing my journalism background and software development skills to experiment with visual storytelling.  LinkedIn ,  edil.dev…, Rachita Saha, Full-Stack Development Intern, Digital Public Goods , On joining the (Office of Innovation) madness: As a technology student, I was always looking for opportunities to expand my skill-set and get real-world software development experience. That’s how I came across Outreachy, a remote internship program for people from groups underrepresented in tech. I was excited about securing an internship with an…

The challenge, In recent years, multiple crises have quickly overwhelmed health care systems, leaving them unable to cope with the sudden surges in patients, let alone provide essential health services. In countries where health systems are already fragile, the rapid escalation of an infectious disease outbreak disproportionately increases the vulnerability of…, The response ​, UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO) and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), with support from the  Téchne Network  are developing a family-friendly Health Emergency Facility (HEF) which can be rapidly deployed and equipped in the event of future disease outbreaks. Using guidelines and a digital planning tool, emergency programme staff will be…, Digital decision tool, for inter-agency procurement planning and coordination, including pre-designed layouts and products lists that emergency staff can selected based on the needs for each location. Products icon, Products, equipment and structures, needed for establishing and operating HEFs, including new and innovative products to support the response. family friendly icon, Layouts with guidance, for setting up family-friendly surge facilities that ensure safe case management.   The development of a rapidly deployable HEF began in 2020. In 2022, UNICEF, alongside WHO and Médecins Sans Frontières, integrated the HEF into the Ebola response during Uganda’s worst outbreak in two decades.          "The 2022 Ebola outbreak provided an…, The impact​, With epidemics occurring more often and spreading faster and further than ever, having rapidly deployable health emergency facilities available will help prevent small disease outbreaks from becoming global pandemics, potentially saving millions of lives. This initiative will help prevent existing heath systems from being overwhelmed by the vast…, Resources, Stories and media coverage

From Kosovo to Vietnam, when young people have the space, time and support, they lean into creative solutions to solve local challenges, often focused on the heavy pollution clogging their communities. Vertical gardens in Kosovo, a planting robot in Uzbekistan, carbon-fighting algae in Vietnam – these are ideas that have all made the journey from…

Innovation starts at the designing stage At the beginning of 2018, UNICEF launched a Global Volunteer Initiative (GVI) to support countries in designing context-driven volunteering strategies. With punctual experiences working with group of students, UNICEF Nicaragua decided to be part of this initiative and seize the opportunity to innovate and…