Global Changemakers
Applications are open for the Global Changemakers Media Impact Academy 2026 to 2027, a 90 day learning programme designed to help young adults build healthy financial habits, develop project management skills, and use digital storytelling to create positive change in their communities.
The programme is organized by Global Changemakers in collaboration with the Univision Foundation, Wells Fargo, and Another Awesome Day. It is designed for young people navigating early financial independence who want practical tools to manage their money, develop professional skills, and explore ways to address challenges in their communities.
The Media Impact Academy combines financial education, project management coursework, and mobile storytelling activities. Participants complete learning modules, demonstrate progress toward financial goals, and share educational videos reflecting what they have learned. They can earn milestone based cash incentives and become eligible to compete for grants to support a community initiative.
The Media Impact Academy helps young adults connect personal financial wellbeing with practical skills for community participation. Managing money independently can be challenging for young people entering employment, higher education, or other stages of adult life. The programme provides structured learning activities to help participants develop stronger financial habits and understand how to plan and manage projects.
The academy also introduces participants to mobile storytelling. By creating short educational videos about their financial learning, participants practise communicating information clearly and using digital media to share useful knowledge with others.
The project management component is intended to develop skills that can be applied in education, employment, volunteering, and community initiatives. Participants who complete the programme can also explore opportunities to turn their ideas into community action projects.
• Up to US$205 in direct cash incentives through milestone payments.
• Access to project management training and certification through the Global Changemakers digital platform.
• Financial education resources provided through Wells Fargo's Saving Cents platform.
• Opportunities to develop healthy savings habits and improve personal financial management.
• Practical experience creating short educational videos for social media.
• Eligibility to compete for US$1,000 grants for community impact projects.
• Opportunities to join the Global Changemakers Network.
• No college degree or previous journalism experience required.
• No professional camera or specialised media equipment required.
Participants complete financial education activities intended to strengthen their understanding of money management and personal savings. The programme encourages participants to practise healthy financial habits and demonstrate that they can maintain savings over time.
Participants access project management coursework through the Global Changemakers digital platform. The training helps them develop practical skills in planning, organizing tasks, managing activities, and working toward defined goals.
These skills can be useful when coordinating a community initiative, managing a personal project, or preparing for future employment.
The programme requires participants to create and publish three educational videos reflecting their financial learning. This activity introduces basic mobile storytelling and encourages participants to communicate useful information through accessible digital content.
Participants must use the designated hashtags when publishing their videos:
• MoneyMovesChallenge
• MediaImpactAcademy
• GlobalChangemakers
A professional camera is not required. A working smartphone is sufficient for the programme's basic storytelling activities.
After completing the educational components, participants can apply to develop a Community Action Project. The academy provides an opportunity for participants to connect their learning with a practical idea that responds to a community need.
Finalists seeking the US$1,000 project grant must submit a short video proposal explaining what they want to create, how the funds would be used, and how the project relates to community development priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Applicants must meet the following requirements.
• Age: Be between 18 and 24 years old.
• Location: Live in the United States.
• Education: No college degree or current college enrolment is required.
• Media experience: No previous journalism or professional media production experience is necessary.
• Equipment: Have access to a working smartphone to complete the mobile storytelling activities.
• Savings account: Be able to provide documentation for a valid savings account held in the applicant's own name at a bank that supports Zelle.
• Participation: Be willing to complete the financial education playbooks, project management coursework, social media video activities, and required milestone documentation.
• Savings verification: Be able to provide evidence that the required initial incentive funds have remained in the account when requested.
The official programme page states that the academy is available to young people in the United States. Applicants living outside the country should not assume that they are eligible simply because Global Changemakers operates internationally.
The programme includes three main incentive milestones.
• Milestone 1: Savings account verification. Participants submit documentation showing that they hold a qualifying savings account in their own name. The listed incentive is US$15.
• Milestone 2: Educational modules and social media submissions. Participants complete the financial education playbooks and publish three educational videos about what they have learned. The listed incentive is US$90.
• Milestone 3: Demonstration of sustained savings. Participants complete the programme survey and provide documentation showing that the initial US$50 received from earlier incentives has been retained in their account. The listed incentive is US$100.
The three milestones account for the advertised total of US$205 in potential incentives. Participants must meet the requirements for each milestone to qualify for the associated payment.
Wells Fargo is recommended by the programme because of its savings account options, but applicants should review the requirements and determine whether they can use a qualifying bank account that supports Zelle.
Applicants should be prepared to complete the online enrolment process and provide the information needed to verify eligibility and claim milestone incentives.
The published programme requirements include:
• Personal information confirming age and US residence.
• Documentation of a valid savings account held in the applicant's own name at a bank offering Zelle.
• Completion of the required project management coursework.
• Completion of the financial education playbooks through the Wells Fargo Saving Cents platform.
• Three educational videos published on social media using the required hashtags.
• A completed programme survey and evidence of savings retention during the specified verification period.
• A short video proposal if applying for a community project grant as a finalist.
The official programme page does not list a conventional CV, university transcript, or motivation letter as a general entry requirement.
Global Changemakers
End of Content.
Do you have a scholarship, job opening, grant, fellowship, or event you’d like to share with a wider audience? Opportunity Desk gives you the platform to reach thousands of students and young professionals who are actively seeking opportunities like yours.
At Opportunity Desk, we go beyond simply sharing opportunities, we make them accessible, relevant, and tailored to your growth journey.
© 2023 Created with Kredibble Creatives & IT Agency
Be the first to comment on this opportunity.