Unisfere Fellowship for Afghan Youth

Empowering young people to understand challenges, develop ideas, and build their future

Unisfere Fellowship

The Unisfere Fellowship for Afghan Youth is a youth empowerment program that equips young Afghans with practical skills, mentorship, and opportunities to explore challenges affecting their communities and develop informed ideas for sustainable development.

Through workshops, mentoring, project work, and presentations, fellows learn how to ask meaningful questions, find and assess information, understand a challenge, develop evidence-informed ideas, and communicate their conclusions with confidence.

The program also responds to the changing demands of education and work in a rapidly digitalizing world. Fellows develop digital, communication, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills that can strengthen their future education and career pathways.

Our aim is to strengthen the skills, confidence, and capacity of young Afghans while helping them prepare for higher education, future careers, and meaningful contribution to their communities.

481+

Fellows Trained

60+

Fellows Mentored

6

Published Papers

The Fellowship Journey

Phase 1
Learning & Skills Development

Fellows participate in practical workshops covering information gathering, critical thinking, problem-solving, writing, digital skills, sustainable development, and understanding community challenges.

Phase 2
Mentorship & Project Development

Fellows select a community challenge and develop an individual project to better understand the issue and explore possible responses, with guidance from experienced mentors.

Phase 3
Presentation & Defense

Fellows present their work to a panel of mentors and judges, developing communication, presentation, critical thinking, and the ability to respond to questions and feedback.

Phase 4
Alumni Support

After completing the fellowship, alumni remain connected to Unisfere and can receive continued guidance on higher education, scholarships, further learning, careers, and community initiatives.

Fellowship Curriculum

During the first phase, fellows participate in 10 practical workshops:

Introduction to Research

Learn the foundations of inquiry and evidence-based learning, including how to identify a meaningful issue, develop questions, and use information to better understand real-world challenges.

importance of research in addressing real-world community challenges and sustainable development.

Data Collection & Analysis

Develop practical skills for gathering, organizing, and interpreting information from different sources to identify patterns, understand perspectives, and support informed conclusions.

Research Methodology

Learn how to plan and structure a project, choose appropriate approaches, and use systematic methods to explore a question or community challenge.

Structuring & Writing a Research Paper

Learn how to organize ideas and findings into a clear and professional report, from introducing the issue and approach to presenting findings and conclusions.

Publication Process & Journals

Understand how knowledge and ideas can be shared with wider audiences, including how to prepare written work for publication and engage with academic and professional platforms.

Academic Writing

Develop clear and effective writing skills, including structure, referencing, critical thinking, argumentation, and communicating ideas professionally.

Digital Skills

Build practical digital skills for learning, information gathering, data management, online research, collaboration, and presenting ideas.

Afghanistan Community Challenges

Explore key social, economic, educational, environmental, and other challenges affecting Afghan communities and identify areas where young people can contribute.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Understand the Sustainable Development Goals and explore how local challenges, ideas, and initiatives can contribute to broader sustainable development.

Presentation & Communication

Learn how to present ideas clearly, communicate evidence, respond to questions, and confidently explain and defend a project.

What Fellows Gain

The fellowship builds skills that carry well beyond the program itself from critical thinking to the confidence to lead.

Critical Thinking

Question assumptions, assess information, and make informed judgments.

Problem-Solving

Understand challenges and explore practical, evidence-informed responses.

Digital & Future-Ready Skills

Use digital tools and develop adaptable skills relevant to today's changing education and employment landscape.

Communication

Build confidence in writing, presenting, discussing, and defending ideas.

Higher Education Readiness

Develop academic skills, confidence, and awareness that support applications, university study, scholarships, and continued learning.

Mentorship & Networks

Connect with experienced academics, professionals, and fellow young Afghans.

Confidence & Initiative

Take an idea from an initial question to a completed project and communicate it to others.

Long-Term Impact

The fellowship is designed to create value that lasts well beyond the program’s duration.

Preparing Young People for Future Education and Careers

As education and employment continue to be shaped by digital technologies and rapid changes in the global economy, young people need more than subject knowledge. They need the ability to learn independently, work with information and digital tools, think critically, solve problems, communicate effectively, and adapt to new opportunities.

By developing these transferable and future-oriented skills, the fellowship helps participants build a stronger foundation for their future careers and continued personal and professional development.

Supporting the Higher Education Journey

The fellowship also aims to help Afghan youth prepare for and navigate their higher education journey. Through academic writing, information literacy, project work, communication, mentorship, and continued alumni guidance, fellows gain skills that can support university study and applications for scholarships and other educational opportunities.

Over the longer term, Unisfere aims to remain a supportive bridge between young people’s current learning and their future educational opportunities, helping alumni identify pathways, strengthen their academic profiles, and make informed decisions about further education.

From Learning to Community Contribution

The fellowship encourages young people to move from simply seeing a problem to developing the skills to understand it, explore possible solutions, and contribute informed ideas. Projects focus on issues relevant to Afghanistan, including education, livelihoods, technology, environment, social development, and other community priorities.

Through this approach, Unisfere aims to contribute to a stronger culture of critical thinking, informed decision-making, youth participation, and problem-solving.

Our Long-Term Aim

Unisfere aims to build a growing community of Afghan young people who are equipped to learn, think critically, adapt to a changing digital world, pursue higher education, build meaningful careers, and contribute to the development of their communities.

The fellowship is one step in that longer journey: helping young people build the skills and confidence they need today while creating pathways toward education, employment, leadership, and community contribution tomorrow.

What Donor Support Makes Possible

With donor support, Unisfere aims to expand the fellowship and provide more young Afghans with access to skills development, mentorship, and continued educational support.