Project Participants
Project Story
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Palestinian youth face overlapping challenges that affect their well-being and future opportunities. Economic instability, political uncertainty, and limited access to resources place constant pressure on young people as they navigate education, careers, and personal development.
At the same time, many youth lack accessible mental health support, professional guidance, and opportunities to build practical skills. In a rapidly changing digital world, they must also learn to navigate misinformation, emerging technologies, and online spaces responsibly. Without strong support systems, many young people struggle to reach their full potential.
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YOUthRIVING is a holistic youth empowerment program designed to help Palestinian youth build resilience, skills, and confidence for the future.
The project combines AI-powered tools with real human support. Through the YOUthRIVING platform, youth can access confidential AI-assisted mental health support available anytime, alongside one-on-one guidance from professionals such as psychologists, career advisors, and health coaches.
The initiative also creates Women’s Empowerment Circles, safe spaces where young women connect with mentors, build leadership skills, and learn about financial literacy, career pathways, and advocacy.
To prepare youth for the digital age, YOUthRIVING offers a Media and AI Literacy Program that teaches participants how to recognize misinformation, understand algorithmic bias, verify sources, and use AI tools responsibly.
In addition, the project provides workshops, webinars, English language courses, and volunteer opportunities that help youth develop career skills, explore entrepreneurship, and engage in community leadership.
A pay-it-forward model ensures long-term impact. Participants who complete the program become YOUthRIVING Fellows, mentoring new participants, leading workshops, and sharing their knowledge with other youth in their communities.
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Young people are one of the greatest sources of strength and possibility within Palestinian communities. When they have the right tools, support, and opportunities, they can transform challenges into leadership and innovation.
YOUthRIVING goes beyond short-term support by building a sustainable network of empowered youth who support and mentor one another. By combining technology, professional guidance, and peer leadership, the project creates a ripple effect that strengthens both individuals and communities.
The goal is not only to support youth today, but to cultivate a generation of confident, resilient, and critically minded leaders who will shape a stronger future for Palestine.
Project Updates
April 18th Update
The team has focused on implementing awareness workshops under the Media Compass initiative, including both in-person and online sessions targeting Palestinian youth.
These workshops focused on media literacy, critical thinking, and analyzing misinformation.
In addition, we have been working on developing the YOUthRIVING digital platform.
April 19th Update
The team organized a specialized workshop on integrating Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) in science education, targeting school teachers from the Jerusalem suburbs. The workshop focused on practical methods for using these technologies to enhance classroom engagement and understanding. Participants showed strong engagement and contributed to meaningful discussions and knowledge exchange.
Empowering AQB University Students with AI and 21st-Century Skills: A YouthThriving Workshop
As part of the Youthriving initiative, we were honored to invite Yazid AlBadarin and Dr. Jana Lazanoska as guest speakers in an interactive workshop designed for university students, focusing on 21st-century skills, particularly the fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence. This session was part of the Technology and Human Rights course within the (Open Society University Network), where key areas of technology and their growing impact on human activities and responsibilities in today’s digital era were discussed. The workshop aimed to simplify core AI concepts, promote responsible and ethical use of technology, and strengthen students’ critical thinking, problem-solving, and digital engagement skills. It also included interactive discussions and real-world examples to help students better understand both the opportunities and challenges associated with AI.
The team delivered an interactive workshop on video game design for 7th and 8th grade students at Arab Institute School.
The workshop introduced students to the basics of game design, including idea development, storytelling, and gameplay mechanics. It also included hands-on activities where students created simple prototypes, showing strong engagement and creativity.
Creative Thinking for Young Minds – YouthThriving Workshop
As part of the YouthThriving initiative’s efforts to foster 21st-century skills, we had the pleasure of delivering an interactive workshop on creative thinking for students at Kingdom of Values School, targeting elementary grades (1st to 9th).
The workshop focused on developing students’ creative thinking skills through interactive activities and educational games that stimulate imagination, encourage idea generation, and promote innovative problem-solving. It also aimed to build students’ confidence, support self-expression, and encourage teamwork.
The session was filled with energy and engagement, as students showed great enthusiasm and active participation, highlighting the importance of integrating such activities into education to nurture a generation capable of thinking creatively and differently.
April 24th Update
We successfully designed and delivered a Psychological Awareness Workshop targeting young participants, with a focus on emotional well-being and practical life skills. The workshop included two main components:
Emotional venting and safe expression, where participants engaged in guided activities to express their feelings, reduce stress, and build a sense of psychological safety.
Crisis management and problem-solving skills, where participants were introduced to structured approaches for handling challenges, making decisions, and responding to real-life situations.
The sessions were highly interactive, incorporating group discussions, role-playing, and scenario-based activities. Participants showed strong engagement and were able to share personal experiences, propose solutions, and support each other in a collaborative environment.
In parallel, the team has been working on developing the platform concept, refining the structure of the Youthriving website, including its core pillars: mental and physical well-being, skill development, and community engagement. We have also started outlining content for future workshops and identifying potential collaborators and specialists to support upcoming activities.
Overall, this phase reflects a strong step toward building both the community aspect and the practical impact of the project, with plans to continue delivering similar workshops and expanding outreach in the coming period.
April 24th Update
As part of expanding the outreach of the Youthriving project, our team has established official social media platforms, including an Instagram page and a Facebook page.
These platforms aim to increase engagement with youth, share our vision and ongoing work, and create a digital space that reflects the project’s mission of connection, growth, and community support.
We have started publishing content to introduce the project, communicate its core pillars, and build an online presence that resonates with young people. Attached is an example of one of our recent posts.
Moving forward, we aim to maintain consistent content, grow our audience, and utilize these platforms to reach more youth and connect them with opportunities and resources.
May 4th Update
Since the last submission, the team has actively implemented two key workshops under the YOUthRIVING project, focusing on youth well-being and personal development.
First, a confidence-building workshop was delivered to 41 eighth-grade students enrolled in the Arab Institute Bard program. The session was highly interactive, encouraging students to reflect on their abilities, share experiences, and build a stronger sense of self-confidence within an English-based academic environment. Through discussions and visualization exercises, participants began to shift their perspective seeing challenges as opportunities and developing a more positive and motivated mindset toward their educational journey.
In addition, a Burnout & Procrastination workshop was conducted in a hybrid format, engaging 10 participants both in person and via Zoom. This workshop created a safe and supportive space for participants to openly discuss their struggles with stress, procrastination, and emotional overwhelm. The session focused on practical, realistic strategies, helping participants adopt manageable steps to improve productivity and well-being. The small group setting enhanced engagement and allowed for meaningful peer interaction.
Together, these activities reflect the project’s ongoing commitment to supporting youth through accessible, interactive, and impactful learning experiences that address both academic confidence and mental well-being.
May 5th Update
We conducted an in-person media literacy workshop titled “Don’t Be a Victim of Misinformation” in Bani Na’im in collaboration with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (Bani Na’im branch).
The workshop targeted youth volunteers and focused on developing critical thinking skills, analyzing emotional vs. factual content, and understanding how misinformation spreads on social media.
What made this workshop unique was the interactive approach: participants didn’t just listen, they actively analyzed real examples, discussed their reactions, and reflected on their own behavior when consuming and sharing content.
We conducted an in-person workshop titled “Don’t Be a Victim of Misinformation” in partnership with Bani Na’im Charity Association, engaging a group of local youth.
This session focused on how people interact with information, not just understanding it. Participants explored how emotions, urgency, and headlines influence their decisions to believe or share content.
Instead of only learning tools, participants reflected on their own habits, recognizing moments where they previously shared content without verification. This created a shift from passive consumption to more conscious and responsible engagement with media.
May 5th Update
As part of the YOUthRIVING project, we delivered an interactive workshop titled “Don’t Be a Victim of Misinformation” for students at Palestine Technical University – Kadoorie (Tulkarm).
The session focused on engaging university students in discussions around misinformation, critical thinking, and the role of media in shaping opinions.
Participants actively analyzed real examples and reflected on how they consume and share information in their daily lives.
May 6th Update
As part of the YOUthRIVING project’s efforts to support healthy learning environments for children, we delivered an interactive workshop titled “Effective Communication with Children and Classroom Situation Management” for teachers at Al Mahaba Kindergarten in Bani Naim.
The workshop focused on communication skills with kindergarten children, positive interaction, and managing difficult classroom situations through practical activities and discussion-based learning.
Participants actively engaged with the activities and reflected on real situations they experience daily inside classrooms.
As part of the YOUthRIVING project’s focus on 21st-century skills, creative thinking, and digital empowerment, we delivered an interactive workshop on Canva design basics for students at Abu Dis School.
The workshop introduced participants to the fundamentals of visual design and digital content creation using Canva, while also encouraging creativity, communication, and problem-solving through environmental awareness themes.
Students participated in hands-on activities where they designed simple visual content and explored how digital design can be used to express ideas, spread awareness, and communicate messages in engaging and creative ways.
May 6th Update
Since our last submission, our team at YOUthRIVING has been actively working on expanding our outreach and increasing awareness about our initiative. We conducted interviews on both Radio Alam and Radio Kol Al Nas, where we introduced our project, its vision, and the impact we aim to create.
During these interviews, we focused on reaching the local communities covered by both radio stations and engaging listeners by discussing the challenges that young people face and how we aim to support them through our platform. We highlighted key topics such as mental health, personal growth, and the importance of providing accessible guidance for youth.
These media appearances allowed us to connect with a wider audience, strengthen our presence across different regions, and amplify our message to more young people in the community.
May 8th Update
As part of the YOUthRIVING project, we built a partnership with Bani Naim Charity Association, which provides many activities and training programs for the community, such as CV writing, employment support, educational support for children, women empowerment activities, and recreational programs.
Through this partnership, we can help connect youth, children, and other community members with useful opportunities, training, and activities that support their learning and personal development.
As part of the YOUthRIVING project, we worked on building a partnership with “Media Compass” (بوصلة إعلامية), a youth initiative focused on media awareness and critical thinking.
Through this collaboration, we organized interactive workshops and awareness activities that helped youth better understand misinformation, digital content, and the importance of critical thinking when using social media and online platforms.
The partnership also helped expand the project’s educational content and reach more young participants through both in-person and online activities.
As part of expanding the YOUthRIVING project and connecting Palestinian youth with wider global opportunities, we started a collaboration with “Rise for Impact,” a youth-driven international community from South Africa.
Rise for Impact works on helping young people access global opportunities, build skills, develop personal branding, and become more active in their communities through trainings, sessions, and supportive youth spaces.
Through this collaboration, we aim to exchange opportunities, create future learning sessions, and connect youth with a broader international network that supports growth, learning, and community impact.
YOUthRIVING introductory Reel
Partnertships
600+
Secondary Impact
(Level 2)
500+
Third Impact
(Level 3)
Impact Metrics (Ripple Effect)
425+
Direct Beneficiaries
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Palestinian Students Scholarship Fund -
Empowering students to create lasting positive change across Palestine.
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2026 Competition
Fostering a systematic culture of good deeds across Palestinian universities, empowering student leaders to create measurable community impact through initiatives that inspire exponential ripple effects of kindness and mutual support.
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