Seoul, South Korea – September 9, 2026 – Korea Youth Summit (KYS) 2026 was successfully held from September 7–10, 2026, in Seoul, South Korea. The program once again provided a space for young people from around the world to share ideas for global challenges. It also encouraged participants to collaborate and create solutions with meaningful community impact.
One of the ideas that gained attention was the SAUTIRISE project. The project was developed by Group 1 and earned the Best Group Award during Korea Youth Summit 2026. The award recognized the team’s strong collaboration and clear vision throughout the forum. Their project highlights the importance of education, community development, and inclusive solutions.
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Teamwork and Collaboration
Group 1 consists of five young people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Their collaboration played an important role in developing the SAUTIRISE project during Korea Youth Summit 2026. The members of Group 1 are:
- Josephin Seraphin – Australia
- Dominique Barksdale – United States of America
- Nur Safi Nabilah Binti Laja Hassan – Malaysia
- Yousef Qaroos – Saudi Arabia
- Mariam Elawadi – United Kingdom
Their diverse perspectives helped the team explore community issues from different points of view. Through collaboration, they developed a project that places community needs at the center of its approach.
The Main Idea Behind SAUTIRISE
SAUTIRISE was developed in response to limited access to education faced by women and children in Sub-Saharan Africa. The project highlights the challenges faced by girls who remain out of school. It also considers gender-based poverty gaps that can affect women of productive age. For this reason, SAUTIRISE aims to address educational barriers through a more integrated community-based approach.
The project does not view access to school as an isolated issue. Education is combined with health support, food and water security, and community development. This approach aims to support stronger households and more resilient communities. It also considers local social, cultural, religious, and leadership structures.
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Exploring the SAUTIRISE Project
Group 1 developed several key initiatives to support women and children at risk. These initiatives connect education with health, technology, food security, and community development. The project includes the following key areas:
- Health-Promoting Schools, combine education with health services and community involvement. The support includes food, clean water, medical care, WASH, and emotional counseling. These services aim to create a healthier environment for learning. The approach also supports the overall well-being of students and communities.
- Mobile Access Network, extends educational support to communities with limited access to schools. It provides learning opportunities, social support, and health resources closer to underserved communities. The learning process can be self-paced and adapted to different needs. This includes young women, caregivers, and people with disabilities. The model also involves educators, counselors, and qualified health professionals. Their involvement helps build trust while respecting local cultural values. This community-based approach makes learning support more accessible.
- Growth Tower Food & Agriculture Community. This initiative combines local agriculture with modern agricultural technology. It aims to create sustainable food sources for local communities. The learning modules cover sustainable agriculture, livestock nutrition, veterinary health awareness, and animal husbandry. Through this approach, communities can strengthen food security and build more sustainable livelihoods.
- AI Support for Future Literacy, introduced to improve educational access and future literacy. It can help translate local languages, simplify learning materials, and adapt lessons to learners’ needs. Teachers and local communities remain involved in developing and reviewing educational content. This ensures that technology supports learners without replacing local educators.
- Critical AI Literacy and Human Verification, promotes the use of AI in a critical and responsible way. Learners are encouraged to practice fact-checking, identify misinformation, understand bias, and check information sources. Teachers and local experts help verify information and review AI-generated content. This approach emphasizes safe, critical, and responsible use of AI.
- Cultural Inclusion and Ethical Protection, considers local culture, religion, language, and community needs. Community members are involved in deciding what information is appropriate to collect and share. The project also emphasizes personal data protection and avoids assumptions based on ethnicity or religion. This approach aims to build trust and support ethical technology use.
Conclusion
Through SAUTIRISE, Group 1 shows that education requires an approach that reflects community needs. The project connects education, health, technology, culture, and sustainability in one integrated model. Its implementation also requires community trust, local collaboration, data protection, and human verification. With the spirit of global youth collaboration, SAUTIRISE demonstrates how innovative ideas can create meaningful and sustainable community impact.
