According to Pledis Entertainment on the 13th, SEVENTEEN began recruiting participants for the Global Youth Grant Scheme in partnership with UNESCO on August 12, in honor of International Youth Day.
The Global Youth Grant Scheme is a program that provides funding, capacity-building, and mentoring to support young people in pursuing various projects that aim to create a better future. SEVENTEEN had previously announced their intention to donate $1 million for this cause when they were appointed UNESCO Youth Goodwill Ambassadors in June.
As part of this initiative, SEVENTEEN and UNESCO have launched a new program titled Going Together – For Youth Creativity & Well-Being. Through this program, SEVENTEEN plans to support projects that enhance youth confidence and resilience, develop creative youth communities, and improve youth mental health, all through the mediums of music, arts, and sports.
There is anticipation over whether SEVENTEEN, who have spread messages of solidarity and positivity through their music and performances, will once again realize the values of Going Together. In the Global Youth Grant Scheme introduction video posted on UNESCO’s official YouTube channel, the members expressed, “We are proud to announce the launch of this program for young people around the world as UNESCO Youth Goodwill Ambassadors. SEVENTEEN will be by your side, and we will walk together towards your dreams.”
Meanwhile, SEVENTEEN has consistently collaborated with UNESCO to raise awareness about the importance of education globally. They are the first K-pop artists to be appointed as UNESCO’s Youth Goodwill Ambassadors, and last November, they were assigned a special session at the 13th UNESCO Youth Forum held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, where they gave a speech and performed for over an hour.
A similar strategy has been done in the United Nations’ partnership with the boy band BTS, which began in September 2018. BTS spoke at the United Nations General Assembly in New York as part of the Youth 2030 initiative, where they launched the Love Myself campaign with UNICEF. The campaign, which calls on young people to love themselves and stand against violence, resonated deeply with BTS’s global fanbase.
By partnering with groups like SEVENTEEN and BTS, international organizations not only want to draw more attention to their programs, but also find ways to communicate important global issues in the digital age. The power of K-pop fandoms like BTS’s Army and SEVENTEEN’s Carat is a big reason why these partnerships have been so successful.
These fanbases are not just ordinary fans. They are very active in social causes. ARMY regularly conducts various charity projects inspired by the messages conveyed by BTS. Carat is expected to play an important role in spreading UNESCO’s messages and calling for support for the organization’s programs.