Beginner-friendly opportunities — page 38

Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles (SSAR)

Roger Conant Grants in Herpetology

Annual grants for herpetological field research, education, and conservation across seven categories.

📍 United States/InternationalPaidEasy

#grant#herpetology#conservation

Apply → ssarherps.org

Instituto Ayrton Senna (Brazil)

Instituto Ayrton Senna Educational Scholarship

A scholarship and mentoring initiative supporting Brazilian students from public schools to complete secondary education and pursue higher education pathways.

📍 BrazilPaidEasy

#scholarship#brazil#financial-need

Apply → institutoayrtonsenna.org.br

📍 Multiple European countriesStipendEasy

European Solidarity Corps Volunteering Projects

European Commission

A program funding young people to volunteer on community and social projects across Europe, covering travel, accommodation, and a small living allowance.

#volunteering#europe#youth

Apply → youth.europa.eu

Campaign for Female Education (Camfed)

Camfed Learner Guide and Scholarship Program

A scholarship and mentorship program supporting girls in rural Sub-Saharan Africa to complete secondary school, paired with a peer-mentoring network run by young female graduates.

📍 Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Tanzania, MalawiPaidEasy

#scholarship#africa#girls-education

Apply → camfed.org

Colgate Keep India Smiling Scholarship Program

Colgate-Palmolive India

A scholarship combined with mentorship for economically weaker school and college students in India, spanning educational, sports, and general-merit categories.

Apply → colgatekeepindiasmiling.com

JK Cement / Laxmipat Singhania Foundation

JK Laxmipat Vidya Scholarship

A scholarship for economically disadvantaged school and college students in India, awarded based on merit and family financial need.

Apply → jklaxmipatfoundation.org

Ministry of Education, Government of India

Central Sector Scheme of Scholarships for College and University Students

A national merit-based scholarship for Indian students from lower-income families entering college, renewable annually based on continued academic performance.

Apply → scholarships.gov.in

LIC HFL Vidyadhan Scholarship

LIC Housing Finance

A scholarship for meritorious students from economically weaker sections of Indian society, covering school and college education costs.

Apply → vidyadhan.org

All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE)

AICTE Swanath Scholarship

A scholarship for orphans and dependents of deceased or disabled armed forces personnel pursuing technical higher education in India.

Apply → aicte-india.org

All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE)

AICTE Pragati Scholarship for Girl Students

A government scholarship supporting girl students pursuing technical undergraduate education, aimed at improving female representation in engineering fields.

#scholarship#india#women-in-stem

Apply → aicte-pragati-saksham-gov.in

Center for Nonviolent Communication

Non-Violent Communication Video Contest

A video contest inviting entrants to demonstrate nonviolent communication practices in everyday scenarios, with recognition and certificates for standout entries.

📍 Global (online submission)UnpaidEasy

#competition#video#communication

Apply → cnvc.org

Founder

Y Combinator Startup School

Y Combinator

A free online course and community for early-stage founders, covering fundraising, product, and growth, with optional peer group matching for accountability.

📍 Remote (online)UnpaidEasy

#program#startup#online

Apply → startupschool.org

Global Canvas Children's Art Competition

Global Canvas

A children's art competition spanning painting, sculpture, textile, and collage on an annual theme, with cash or supply-voucher prizes for winners.

#competition#art#children

Apply → globalcanvas.org

American Meteorological Society

American Meteorological Society Photo Contest

A photography competition capturing weather, water, and climate phenomena, judged by atmospheric scientists, with modest cash prizes for winners.

#competition#photography#weather

Apply → ametsoc.org

Royal Meteorological Society

Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year

A weather and climate photography competition across multiple categories including a youth award, celebrating images of meteorological phenomena worldwide.

#competition#photography#weather

Apply → rmets.org

Current World Archaeology magazine

Current World Archaeology (CWA) Photo Competition

A photography competition celebrating archaeological sites and heritage worldwide, with winners receiving conference passes and a magazine feature.

#competition#photography#archaeology

Apply → the-past.com

📍 Global (online submission)UnpaidEasy

Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award

The Poetry Society (UK)

One of the world's largest poetry competitions for young writers, open on any theme, with roughly 100 winners receiving prizes, mentoring, and publication in an anthology.

#competition#poetry#writing

Apply → foyleyoungpoets.org

UNESCO Clubs Worldwide Multimedia Contest

UNESCO Clubs

A multimedia (video, essay, or art) competition inviting youth to propose ways their community can advance a specific UN Sustainable Development Goal, with a US-based youth camp invitation for top entries.

#competition#sdgs#multimedia

Apply → unescocentre.org.uk

New York Academy of Sciences

1000 Girls, 1000 Futures Program

A yearlong STEM mentorship program pairing teenage girls with women professionals in science and technology fields for structured, virtual mentorship.

📍 Remote (virtual mentorship)UnpaidEasy

#program#mentorship#women-in-stem

Apply → nyas.org

UNESCO-UNEVOC Skills in Action Photo Competition

UNESCO-UNEVOC

A photography competition documenting technical and vocational skills development around the world, intended to highlight the human side of workforce training.

#competition#photography#vocational-education

Apply → unevoc.unesco.org

📍 Global (online submission)UnpaidEasy

The New York Times Learning Network Student Contests

The New York Times

An ongoing series of free writing, video, and multimedia contests for teenagers — including personal narrative, editorial, review, podcast, and STEM-explainer formats — with winning entries published by the Times.

#competition#writing#journalism

Apply → nytimes.com

United Nations Academic Impact / Millennium Campus Network

UN Millennium Fellowship

A semester-long leadership program where cohorts of student fellows on a single campus design and run a project tackling one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

📍 Multiple universities worldwideUnpaidEasy

#fellowship#leadership#sdgs

Apply → mcnfellowship.org

Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

Wharton Global Youth Program

An online business-education program for high schoolers covering entrepreneurship, finance, and management fundamentals taught by Wharton faculty.

📍 Remote (online)PaidEasy

#program#business#pre-college

Apply → globalyouth.wharton.upenn.edu

HDFC Parivartan ECSS Scholarship

HDFC Bank

A need-based scholarship for meritorious school and college students from low-income households across India, part of HDFC's broader education-access initiative.

Apply → hdfcbank.com