Rise, a program that finds promising young people and provides them with opportunities that allow them to work together to serve others over their lifetimes, hosted an event on Friday, December 1, 2023, to inspire and empower secondary school students in Lagos, Nigeria. Themed “Rise and Impact,” the event helped raise awareness about the 2024 Rise Challenge and encouraged applications from promising Nigerian youth.
The event was moderated by Nigerian influencer Jola Ayeye and featured real-time conversations about the Rise Challenge and its benefits, testimonial sessions from past Nigerian Rise Winners, as well as engagement with Rise partners to foster innovation, social entrepreneurship, and global citizenship and encourage participants to apply.
Rise seeks out talented individuals aged 15 to 17 and empowers them to work on solving humanity’s most pressing challenges with an annual program, the Rise Challenge. The program provides a range of benefits to its Global Winners, including need-based scholarships, mentorship, networking opportunities, and access to career development resources. Interested applicants can apply at www.risefortheworld.org/apply-to-rise.
With Rise Global Winners emerging from Nigeria annually, the country has proven to be a home to some of the most talented and innovative young people globally. Since its inception, Rise has identified and supported more than 300 Global Winners from around the world, including 13 from Nigeria. These remarkable young leaders are working on a wide range of projects, from developing sustainable solutions to promoting education access for girls, amongst others.
The “Rise and Impact” event is part of Rise’s ongoing commitment to expanding its reach and identifying exceptional young leaders from diverse backgrounds and grassroots communities in Nigeria. Eight schools from Lagos were present at the event: Abibat Mogaji Millennium Senior Secondary School, Keke Senior High School, Government Senior College Agege, Lagos Baptist Senior Secondary School, Lagos Baptist Senior College, Sango Senior Secondary School, Agege State Senior High School Oyewole, and Vetland Senior Grammar School.
To further ensure that more promising Nigerian youths have access to the opportunities offered by the Rise Challenge, Rise works with local partners Ingressive 4 Good and Build Nigeria. During the event, Ingressive 4 Good provided a live demo registration exercise for interested registrants to commence registration before the deadline, January 17, 2024. Rise, through the partners, is poised to offer the support and resources applicants need to make a lasting impact on their communities and the world, irrespective of background and academic experiences.
Unlike many traditional applications, Rise uses videos, projects, and group interviews so applicants have multiple opportunities to showcase their potential. For applicants with low or no access to technology, Rise offers an alternative pathway through a paper application. The call for applications for the 2024 Rise Challenge is ongoing and applicants are urged to complete their application by January 17th, 2024. For more information, visit www.risefortheworld.org.