Youth Empowerment & Service Awards (YES Awards)
Celebrating Young Changemakers.Amplifying Global Impact.
The Youth Empowerment & Service Awards (YES Awards) is a Dubai-based recognition platform celebrating high-school students whose sustained service, leadership and ideas create measurable community impact.
Supported by a growing ecosystem of educators, institutions, foundations and industry leaders
The YES belief
Leadership doesn't begin with a title.It begins with action.
Around the world, young people are already solving problems, building initiatives, supporting communities and creating change. YES Awards exists to find them, recognise them and amplify their work — not as the leaders of tomorrow, but as the changemakers of today.
Why YES Awards
More than an award. A movement.
YES Awards recognises the substance behind the service — commitment, leadership and evidence of lasting community benefit.
Sustained Impact
Recognition for meaningful commitment over time — not one-off volunteering. YES celebrates service that lasts.
Youth Leadership
Students identifying real problems, mobilising people and leading initiatives with purpose and responsibility.
Global Recognition
Outstanding changemakers receive visibility and credibility beyond their school, city or community.
A Community Beyond the Award
A growing network of students, mentors, institutions and changemakers learning from one another.
How the YES Awards work
From nomination to recognition.
A clear, evidence-led process designed to be fair, transparent and worthy of the recognition it represents.
Nomination
An adult who knows the student's work submits a guided nomination with evidence of sustained service.
Eligibility Review
Each nomination is checked against the published eligibility criteria before progressing.
Impact Assessment
Submissions are assessed for measurable impact, leadership and sustainability.
Jury Evaluation
An independent jury reviews shortlisted nominations against the published scoring philosophy.
YES Awards Ceremony
Recognised changemakers are celebrated at the annual YES Awards ceremony.
Eligibility
Who the awards are for.
A few clear principles. Full criteria are published and reviewed before each cycle.
A high-school student
Nominated while in secondary education.
Sustained community service
A meaningful, ongoing commitment — not a one-off activity.
Nominated by an adult
A teacher, mentor or professional who knows the student's work.
Past Celebrations
Moments from our ceremonies
A glimpse of the dignitaries, awardees and communities who gather each year to celebrate literacy and youth empowerment at the YES Awards.
Dignitaries and guests on stage
Traditional lamp-lighting ceremony
Awardees and organisers on stage
Celebrating with KCS Foundation & Consulate General of India
News & press room
Latest from the YES Awards
KCS Foundation India to Celebrate 6th Annual International Literacy Day 2026 YES Awards in Dubai
KCS Foundation (India) will host the sixth annual Celebration of Literacy on Saturday, 5 September 2026 in Dubai, under the UNESCO theme "Literacy for people, the planet and prosperity", featuring a special YES Awards felicitation of young changemakers.
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KCS Foundation and Deloitte honour Young Changemakers at 5th YES Awards in Dubai
KCS Foundation India, YES Events FZE LLC and Deloitte celebrated International Literacy Day 2025 in Dubai, presenting the 5th YES Awards to ten outstanding high school students for their community service projects.
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Join the movement
Somewhere, a young person is already changing their community.
Help us recognise them.