Ashoka
Young Changemaker Award 2025
We are thrilled that you wish to nominate yourself or someone else to receive the award for Changemaker of the Year 2025 in Finland!
The application period for 2025 is now open and will close 2nd February.
How to Nominate a Young Changemaker?
You can nominate yourself, someone else or a group. Click the orange button labeled Start a Nomination just below. Join in and make your suggestion now!
Contact the team ([email protected]) for questions.
Please, do reach out if you have any questions!
*PRIVACY AND DATA USAGE: By submitting the nomination, you acknowledge that your Personal Data will be processed outside the EEA as described in Ashoka's privacy policy.
Selection Criteria
The Changemaker of the Year 2025 is awarded to young individual based on the following criteria
The Person 🧑🦰
Indicated inner motivation for societal change, and showcasing one or more changemaker skills (empathy, leadership, critical and creative thinking and collaboration).
The Idea 💡
How the idea/initiative is rooted in contemporary societal challenges, and in what stage the idea/initiative is at (early, middle or mature stage).
Collaboration 🤝
Has the individual showcased the ability to mobilize peers of other people around his/her initiative, inspire others and/or engage other stakeholders.
Social Impact 🌍
The potential impact of the idea/initiative, potential for scaling and acceleration of impact.
Coaching 🎯
The need for strategic coaching for the individual and/or the initiative/idea.
What do the winners get?
Mentoring & Tools for development
The winners will be matched with experienced mentors who can guide them and help them develop their initiatives further.
Access to Ashoka's international network
We connect the Young Changemakers of the Year to Ashoka's global network of leading social entrepreneurs and young changemakers.
Ashoka supports over 3800 leading social entrepreneurs in more than 90 countries that have succeeded in scaling their innovative solutions internationally.
Visibility
By inspiring and empowering the young changemakers and gaining a closer relationship with each of the finalists, the Young Changemaker of the Year award is a journey filled with network connections, great engagement from mentors and jury members as well as visibility and media outreach through Ashoka’s digital channels, and the participation at events both in the Nordics and globally.
What are the phases of this program?
Strategic coaching and mentoring
The two recipients of this award will receive strategic coaching and mentoring from Ashoka’s network of experts for developing their ideas and accelerating their impact. The coaching will take place on agreed dates between February and June 2023.
Network support
In addition to the tailor-made coaching and mentoring, the young awardees will receive network support from Ashoka for connecting with a Nordic and international community of likeminded youth through events, summits and other global opportunities such as online forums within the social entrepreneurship field.
Learn more about young people who are creating an Everyone a Changemaker world.
Inspiring workshops
A half-day workshop will be designated to map and outline the specific needs of the Changemakers and the areas of expertise the mentors will be contributing.
Furthermore, during the program period, the awardees will also participate in strategic workshops on team-work and finance, as well as an on-site visit with leading social entrepreneurs whose social innovations are solving some of the most pressing challenges of our time.
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Ashoka
Ashoka is the world's largest network of social entrepreneurs and changemakers,with over 3,800 so-called Ashoka Fellows in 94 countries. These include Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, and Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank and Nobel Peace Prize winner. Ashoka supports members of its network to develop social innovations and create positive societal change.
Louise och Göran Ehrnrooths stiftelse
The Louise and Göran Ehrnrooth Foundation supports long-term projects in education, research, environmental protection, culture and societal activities in Finland. The foundation has partnered with Ashoka to support Young Changemakers and their solutions to societal challenges.