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Winners of UNESCO’s Youth Hackathon 2024 Shape the Future of Media and Information Literacy
"Taking part in the Youth Hackathon was a truly transformative experience. Representing Indonesia and presenting our project on an international platform was an honor, but the real impact came from the connections we built in Amman. Engaging with youth from diverse countries and backgrounds highlighted the power of collaboration and cultural exchange", said Muhammad Rafi Aurelia from Indonesia, one of the 2024 winners for his project MILBoard.
Muhammad, along with three other teams from Madagascar, Iraq/UAE/Egypt, and Ukraine, attended the closing ceremony of the Global MIL Week Feature Conference in Amman on 30 October 2024. They presented their project, aiming to raise visibility and support to further develop their ideas.
Muhammad, along with three other teams from Madagascar, Iraq/UAE/Egypt, and Ukraine, attended the closing ceremony of the Global MIL Week Feature Conference in Amman on 30 October 2024. They presented their project, aiming to raise visibility and support to further develop their ideas.
The Youth Hackathon is a flagship initiative in UNESCO’s ongoing efforts to engage young people in shaping the future of media and information literacy. Each year, UNESCO invites young innovators to submit projects tackling misinformation, through mobile applications, podcasts, educational tools, and community-based interventions.
This year’s participants also benefited from a two-day online mentoring program covering media literacy, disinformation challenges, hate speech, and coding fundamentals. Expert mentors from DW Academie, TeensinAI, and SAP guided teams through this preparation phase.
After a rigorous review by an independent international jury, four teams were selected as winners:
Mobile Application: MAHW
Developed by a collaborative team from Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt, MAHW, inspired by the Arabic word for "erasing", is a mobile application designed to combat misinformation and enhance media literacy. Featuring gamified learning, AI-powered fact-checking, and interactive quizzes, MAHW equips users with essential tools to identify and counter misinformation. With 60% of its core features already developed, the project demonstrates significant potential for real-world impact.
Community-Based Intervention: ARTiFAKE
Representing Ukraine, ARTiFAKE, a blend of "Art Invades Fakes", leverages creative mediums such as street art, digital comic books, and animated cartoons to counter disinformation. By integrating visually engaging content into public spaces and distributing digital comics featuring protagonists Arti and Tina, ARTiFAKE fosters critical thinking and community-driven media literacy.
Podcast Channel: Idea’s Echo
Developed by CliMates Madagascar, Idea’s Echo harnesses the power of radio and podcasting to raise awareness on climate change and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG13). By featuring local experts discussing region-specific issues in Malagasy dialects, the project ensures accessibility and accuracy, empowering communities to make informed decisions in an ever-changing digital landscape.
Peer-Education Game: MILBoard
Created by a team from Indonesia, MILBoard is an innovative snakes-and-ladders-inspired board game integrated with a mobile app. Designed for children aged 10–17 in remote and underserved areas, the game introduces media and information literacy concepts in an interactive and engaging way. Features like “challenge cards” and MIL curriculum modules help participants build critical thinking skills while making learning fun and impactful.
UNESCO Youth Hackathon underscores the creativity, passion, and resilience of young people in tackling today’s digital challenges. By fostering innovation and equipping youth with essential media and information literacy skills, this initiative plays a vital role in advancing informed, inclusive, and responsible digital citizenship worldwide. Details for the 2025 edition will be announced in June.