THE AWARD
A rigorous view of youth-led service
YES Awards recognises eligible high-school students whose sustained community service demonstrates leadership, credible evidence and meaningful outcomes.
At a glance
Who and what we recognise
High-school students
12+ months of sustained service
Nominated by a teacher, mentor or professional
Independent jury
What the jury looks for
Six judging principles
Sustained duration and personal commitment
Youth leadership and responsible decision-making
Depth and scale of measurable community impact
Evidence quality and beneficiary participation
Sustainability, ethics and safeguarding
Potential for learning, replication or continued value
How selection works
A transparent, nine-stage journey
Nominate
Stages 1–3
A teacher, mentor or professional submits a guided nomination with evidence. Admin reviews completeness and confirms eligibility.
Independent evaluation
Stages 4–7
Multiple independent jurors score each nomination against the published scorecard. The highest scores are shortlisted for panel review.
Selection & celebration
Stages 8–9
The jury panel confirms recipients and reserves. Awardees are notified and celebrated at the annual ceremony in Dubai.
See all nine stages
- Stage 01 · Day 0
Nomination Submitted
A teacher, mentor or professional who knows the student submits a guided nomination with evidence of sustained service.
The nominator receives an instant confirmation with a reference number. Drafts auto-save, so the form can be completed across multiple sessions.
- Stage 02 · 1–3 days
Administrative Review
The YES Awards admin team verifies that every required field, document and referee detail is complete.
Incomplete nominations are returned to the nominator with clear guidance. Only complete submissions progress to eligibility checking.
- Stage 03 · 3–5 days
Eligibility Confirmation
Each nomination is checked against the published criteria — age, student status, minimum service duration and nominator relationship.
Nominations that do not meet the criteria are notified with an explanation. Eligible nominations move to jury assignment.
- Stage 04 · 1 week
Independent Jury Assignment
Each eligible nomination is assigned to multiple independent jury members. Conflicts of interest are declared before any evaluation begins.
Jury members are professionals with relevant expertise. They cannot evaluate a nomination from their own school, family or organisation.
- Stage 05 · 2–3 weeks
Scored Evaluation
Each juror independently scores the nomination against the published scorecard — impact, leadership, evidence, innovation and sustainability.
Jurors submit structured scores, written comments and a recommendation. They can flag evidence concerns for admin review at any point.
- Stage 06 · 1 week
Shortlisting
Scores from all jurors are compiled. The highest-scoring nominations are shortlisted for panel deliberation.
Shortlisted candidates are not notified at this stage. The shortlist remains confidential until final selections are confirmed.
- Stage 07 · 1–2 days
Panel Deliberation
The full jury panel reviews the shortlist together, discussing borderline cases and confirming that evidence is credible and consistent.
The panel can request additional information from the nominator or referee before making a final decision.
- Stage 08 · Panel day
Final Selection
The panel confirms award recipients and reserve candidates for each category. Decisions are final and signed off by the jury chair.
All selected awardees and reserves are recorded. Unsuccessful nominees are not published — only winners are celebrated publicly.
- Stage 09 · Ceremony
Notification & Celebration
Successful nominees are notified confidentially, then celebrated at the annual YES Awards ceremony in Dubai.
Each awardee receives a certificate, a public profile and joins the YES Awards alumni community. The journey continues beyond the stage.
What awardees receive
Beyond the certificate
A verifiable certificate
Each awardee receives an official certificate with a unique verification number.
A public Hall of Fame profile
A published profile celebrating their project, impact and story.
Recognition on stage in Dubai
Celebrated at the annual YES Awards ceremony on International Literacy Day.
Lifelong alumni membership
Membership in the YES Awards alumni community of changemakers.
Project categories
Areas of impact
Specific criteria and weights may vary by edition and are published before assessment. Meeting eligibility requirements does not guarantee shortlisting or selection.