Deadline: September 14, 2025
Applications are open for the Melton Foundation Global Citizenship Video Essay Competition 2025. Melton Foundation Africa, in partnership with Global Goals Week, invites young people across Africa aged 18 to 30 to share their ideas on how the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) can be harnessed to build a better future for their countries and the continent as a whole.
Global Goals Week is a time when people and organizations worldwide come together to accelerate action, share solutions, and renew commitments toward achieving the SDGs. As they mark both this global moment of collective action and the 10th anniversary of the SDGs, the Melton Foundation calls on young African Change Makers to reflect, imagine, and propose bold solutions under three powerful themes.
Submissions should be video essays rooted in the realities of Africa, inspired by the vision of the SDGs, and guided by the spirit of Global Citizenship.
Themes
- Theme 1: Reimagining Africa: Reflect on Africa’s development through the lens of the SDGs. Propose bold and practical ways young people can reshape the continent’s future, focusing on identity, purpose, and the power of youth to take action.
- Theme 2: Beyond Borders, Beyond Barriers: Explore how young people can build a shared tomorrow through collaboration across communities, countries, and cultures. Highlight the role of partnerships, technology, and shared learning in moving Africa forward.
- Theme 3: Young Africans as Global Citizens: Reflect on how young Africans can act as Global Citizens, balancing local realities with global responsibilities. Consider how youth can lead change in their communities and beyond during this SDG Decade of Action.
Benefits
- Winners will each receive a $250 gift card, a certificate of achievement, their video featured on the Foundation’s website and social media, and recognition as a Global Citizen.
Eligibility
- Open to young African changemakers aged 18-30 (as of September 30, 2025) who are residing in and originally from an African country.
- Submission must be individual. Team or group submissions will be disqualified.
- Accepted formats: MP4, MOV or AVI. Videos must be playable, unplayable files will be disqualified.
- Entry must include a clear title and be original, creative and engaging, making strong use of storytelling and visuals.
Application
Submit your video essay today and stand a chance to be recognized as one of Africa’s next Global Citizens!
For more information, visit Global Citizenship Video Essay Competition.
