Kindling the Flame Zoroastrian Youth Impact Challenge
Purpose of the Competition
To inspire the next generation of Zoroastrian youth to design meaningful, scalable, and sustainable service projects that create measurable impact within the community.
Competition Overview
The Zoro Youth Impact Challenge invites teams from across the world to conceptualize and present innovative community service projects that address real needs within the global community, including but not restricted to education, employment, environment, welfare, health & wellness, cultural preservation and community engagement. The aim is to empower Zoroastrian youth to lead change and foster collaboration, creativity, and compassion through impactful initiatives.
Team Composition
- Each team must have a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 6 members.
- At least 50% of the team must be below 35 years of age. Teams are encouraged to include members of varying ages to promote intergenerational collaboration.
- At least one team member must be attending WZC 2026 in person to present the project if selected as a finalist.
- No participating team members can be a part of another team.
Evaluation Criteria
The projects will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Projects must be service-oriented and articulate tangible benefits to the community at large.
- Projects should clearly define how they impact the Zoroastrian community and/or are driven by Zoroastrian principles.
- Projects must show clear youth involvement & leadership.
- Project members must demonstrate their commitment to implement the project.
- Each project must be practical and scalable within a budget ceiling of USD 50,000.
- Projects must have a clear timeline, deliverables, and be designed for implementation within 12 - 18 months after WZC 2026.
- Preference will be given to projects that can be replicated in other regions.
Competition Format
- Phase 1: Submission Round
For this round, each qualifying team must submit a Project Proposal (max 5 pages) including:- Problem Statement & Objective
- Target Beneficiaries
- Proposed Activities
- Timeline
- Budget Outline
- Expected Impact or Measure of Success
- Role of Team Members
- Phase 2: Shortlisting
Proposals will be then reviewed by a panel of mentors and community leaders and top 4-5 finalist teams will be selected and invited to present at WZC 2026. Teams will receive mentorship to refine their proposals and presentations. - Phase 3: Live Presentation at WZC 2026
- Finalist teams will present their project plans during the Congress.
- Each team will get:
- 5-7 minutes for presentation
- 5-7 minutes for Q&A from audience
- The winner will be determined by a panel of judges and/or by live audience voting.
Prize Money
The winning team will receive a cash award of SGD 1,000.
Key Dates
- Proposal Submission Deadline: 30 April 2026
- Shortlist Announcement: 31 July 2026
- Final Presentations: During 13th WZC 2026
Mentorship & Support
Shortlisted teams will be paired with a mentor from their region - experienced in community service, leadership, or project management — who will provide guidance throughout the process.
Organizers
We plan to run a global competition over the next few months, in which teams of youth will present project plans for a community impact project. The finalists will present live at the Congress. The winning team will win a cash prize and seed funding towards bringing their project to fruition.
Disclaimers
WZC 2026 does not guarantee seed funds for any projects. The organizers will make best-faith efforts to connect the top teams to potential donors to secure some financial support or implementation grants to launch their projects post-congress.
1. This page does not purport to provide comprehensive information on the WZC Program. It provides summary and selective information.
2. All the information on this page reflects the current plans of the organizers. The Program will be refined over time due to which some of the sessions listed above may be dropped or modified and new sessions may be added.