The Rise Initiative has said young people between the ages of 15 to 17 are talented, creative and should be allowed to excel.
An initiative of Schmidt Futures and the Rhodes Trust, Rise is the anchor program of a $1 billion commitment by Eric and Wendy Schmidt across their philanthropic organisations and initiatives to find and support global talent.
A statement by the organisation read, “We believe that talent is equally distributed, but opportunity is not. To address this disparity, Rise finds promising young people and provides them with opportunities that allow them to work together to serve others over their lifetimes.”
It added that the programme was targeted at young people between the ages of 15 to 17, saying it encouraged a lifetime of service and learning by providing support that may include need-based scholarships, mentorship, networking, access to career development opportunities, and the potential for additional funding as Rise Global Winners work to develop bold ideas for public benefit.
The statement read, “By identifying emerging talent across all disciplines, we can support people and their ideas as they work towards solutions we can’t even imagine today. The Rise global community includes applicants, Rise Global Winners, teachers, partners, and other organisations that support them in serving others. Using technology, our networks, and other tools, Rise invites its community members with common interests to connect, collaborate, and make service commitments to solve complex problems facing humanity.
“Each application year, Rise invites young people ages 15 to 17 from around the world to participate in the Rise Challenge. 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, we offer an alternative pathway through a paper application.”
It stated, “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.
“From the Finalists, Rise selects up to 100 Global Winners who will attend a residential summit and receive other benefits.”
