TUMO Center for Creative Technologies is partnering with Rise, a global initiative of Schmidt Futures and the Rhodes Trust, that finds exceptionally talented young people around the world and supports them as they work to serve others throughout their lives. The partnership aims to encourage youth ages 15-17 (as of July 1st, 2023) to apply to the Rise Challenge.
As the anchor program of a broader $1 billion philanthropic commitment from Eric and Wendy Schmidt to support global talent, Rise focuses on identifying promising young people and providing them with opportunities, resources, and support. As part of the Rise Challenge, Rise will select 100 Global Winners from tens of thousands of applicants to join the 2023 Rise Cohort. The program is designed to encourage a lifetime of service and learning by providing support that could include scholarships, career services, and funding opportunities to help these leaders serve others for decades to come.
Since its inception, Rise has welcomed over 150,000 people from over 170 countries to its community and selected 200 Winners from 69 countries of origin who have showcased their brilliance–from making education more accessible to mitigating global warming and developing tools to better detect cancer. Schmidt Futures is a philanthropic initiative that brings talented people together in networks to prove out their ideas and solve hard problems in science and society.
Rise recognizes that talent is created equally, but opportunity is not, which is why they partner with 30+ global organizations, including TUMO, United World College (UWC), Manchester United Foundation, Teach for All, Amideast, and Latin American Leadership Academy, to scour the globe to find brilliant young people who are passionate about building a better world.
“With aligned missions to seek out, cultivate and enrich talent, Rise is proud to team up with TUMO to find and support a network of extraordinary people from diverse backgrounds across Armenia who have the potential to serve others together for life,” said Rise Executive Director, Mark German.
“We’re happy to partner with Rise in Armenia and to support the next generation of young problem-solvers on their paths to building a better world. With Rise, Armenian teens can get access to invaluable resources and opportunities. We’re targeting every 15 to 17 year old who is eager to create a socially meaningful project to solve emerging issues and address global challenges,” said Pegor Papazian, TUMO’s head of development.
Rise Global Winners will receive individualized and flexible support to achieve their goals. The program is designed to encourage a lifetime of service to develop innovative solutions to solve society’s hard problems. Rise provides all applicants, regardless of Winner status, with access to its global network, free online courses, and curated opportunities from partners.
All Rise Global Winners receive the following benefits upon selection:
- Residential Summit: A fully-funded, three-week residential summit with other members of the Rise Global Winner cohort.
- Global Winner Network: Access to the Rise Global Winners network to connect on common interests, make service commitments, launch enterprises, and collaborate.
- Counseling and Career Support: Advice and support for applying to university and selecting a career.
- Programming: Access to specialized programs, courses, and other opportunities through Rise partners.
- Higher Education Scholarships: A four-year, post-secondary scholarship at any accredited university, including tuition and a living stipend, based on need and where not already covered by financial aid.
- Technology: A technology package, such as a laptop or tablet, to be determined annually.
In addition, all Rise Global Winners can apply for the following benefits:
- Partner Network: Matching to programs, secondary school scholarships, internships, and other benefits from partners who are part of the Rise network.
- Funding Opportunities: Apply for funding to experiment with innovative ideas to address major problems in local communities or around the world—ranging from seed money to start a social enterprise to a grant for a non-profit.
- Education Support: Apply for scholarship funds for a graduate degree.
How to Apply?
The online applications are now open on the Rise website and are available until January 25, 2023, at 16:59 GMT.
The Rise 2023 Challenge has three stages:
- Submission: Applicants introduce themselves through videos, create an individual project that demonstrates their talents and benefits their communities, and peer review other applicants’ projects, among other activities.
- Interview: Rise then selects up to 500 Finalists to advance to “Finalist Days,” where they demonstrate their motivations, problem-solving abilities, and teamwork skills in an innovative interview format.
- Global Winner Selection: From the Finalists, Rise selects 100 Global Winners to receive a lifetime of benefits as they work to serve others.
“We’re planning to organize online and face-to-face sessions with all interested candidates and their parents. We will do our best to help them understand and navigate the application process,” said Papazian. “We’re eager to have young Armenians join the Rise community and reach their maximum potential.”
