Programmes / GAIA
GAIA
In action.
World Merit's flagship three-month challenge programme – where young leaders design, fund, and deliver real SDG projects in their communities across 17 countries.
The Three-Month Accelerator
What Is
GAIA?
GAIA – Global Action Impact Accelerator – is World Merit's three-month flagship challenge programme. It's designed for young people aged 18-30 who want to go beyond awareness and actually do something about the Sustainable Development Goals. Over the course of the three-month programme, GAIA participants identify a challenge in their community connected to one or more of the SDGs, design a project to address it, mobilise resources and partners, deliver measurable impact, and share their story with the global World Merit community.
The GAIA Format
3 Months To
Real Impact.
APPLY
Apply
Submit your project idea to join the next GAIA cohort.
LEARN
Learn
Build skills through workshops and mentorship in project management, fundraising, and leadership.
TAKE ACTION
Take Action
Deliver your SDG project in your own community, with coaching along the way.
CELEBRATE
Celebrate
Share your achieved impact on a global stage at the GAIA Goalkeepers Prize event.
3-Month Programme · Completion Certificate
Why It Works
Built Around
What Actually Works.
GAIA is grounded in decades of research on youth civic engagement, challenge-based learning, and community development.
Challenge-Based Learning
Learning by doing is 3x more effective than passive instruction. GAIA puts young people in real situations that demand creative problem-solving.
94% of GAIA participants would absolutely recommend the programme.
Peer-to-Peer Accountability
GAIA participants are connected to a cohort of peers globally who share progress, offer feedback, and hold each other accountable.
36 of 39 reported no challenges getting mentor support.
Community Rootedness
GAIA projects are delivered in the participant's own community – not parachuted in. This local ownership creates projects that last.
Uniformly high scores (4.2–4.7/5) across every programme category.
The Story Behind GAIA
Born From A
Global Task Force.
During COVID-19, World Merit ran the World Merit COVID-19 Global Task Force, connecting project leaders in Africa and Asia with passionate volunteers worldwide. Volunteers provided free support with fundraising, content creation, data collection and analysis, and design, lifting a huge burden off project leaders so they could serve their communities.
The success of that initiative led directly to GAIA: a more structured, long-term online programme that equips social-impact project teams with skills and personalised mentorship to advance their projects.
Program Design
Tailored To
Project Teams.
GAIA blends workshops, mentorship, peer learning, and practical assignments, tailored to enhance the operational capabilities of each council.
Workshops
Tailored sessions on project management, strategic partnerships, fundraising, and storytelling, led by experts with real-world insights.
Mentorship
Regular one-on-one sessions that provide personalised guidance tailored to the unique challenges of each council.
Practical Assignments
Participants apply their new skills in real settings within their communities, ensuring that learning translates into tangible impact.
The GAIA Goalkeepers Prize
Every GAIA edition ends with the GAIA Goalkeepers Prize event — the competitive heart of the programme. Participants showcase their projects on a global stage, highlighting innovation, impact, and the skills gained through GAIA. Recognising and rewarding outstanding projects not only motivates participants but sets a standard of excellence for future cohorts.
Impact Numbers
GAIA By The
Numbers.
163
Participants
Across 4 GAIA editions since 2020
17
Countries
From Nigeria and Nepal to Peru and Pakistan
40
Projects
Designed, launched and completed through GAIA
2020
Founded
Born from the COVID-19 Global Task Force
Projects Gallery
Real Projects,
Real Change.
Introducing the SDGs to students aged 8–17
Lagos · Nigeria · GAIA 1
Safe School
A youth-focused education project for students aged 8–17 that introduces the Sustainable Development Goals, develops essential soft skills, and teaches the project cycle — showing young people practical ways they can contribute to the global goals.
Sokoto · Nigeria · GAIA 2
Young Leaders Hub
A youth leadership and personal-development project. Its 4th edition trained 65 students at Sultan Bello Secondary School on life planning, drug-abuse prevention, sexual and reproductive health, transformational leadership, and community participation — building on 2,000+ adolescents trained across Lagos and Ogun States.
Lima · Peru · GAIA 2
Sin Tabúes
A non-profit association opening spaces for dialogue on comprehensive sexual education in Peru, promoting a healthy, free and responsible sexuality while preventing gender violence and unwanted pregnancies — with more than 300 teenagers completing its workshops.
20 youths trained · 80% better equipped
Zimbabwe · GAIA 2
Drug Free Zimbabwe
Initiated by Munyaradzi Mhike, this campaign educates young people about the effects of drug and substance abuse. Twenty youths have completed its training workshops, 80% feel better equipped to handle addictions, and five former drug users now instruct the programme.
Ready To Start Your
GAIA Project?
GAIA runs by application. Stay tuned for the next call for applications — and be ready to take your SDG project from idea to impact.
By application · Free to participate · Fully flexible · Recognised certification