First International Award for “AI Stars” Project

The “AI Stars” digital education project, launched last year by the Vodafone Foundation in partnership with the Habitat Association, has received its first international award at the WSIS Prizes 2025- one of the United Nations’ most prestigious award programmes. The project was shortlisted among 20 global initiatives in the Capacity Building category and earned the title of Champion through public voting. Additionally, the photo “AI Stars: Empowering Young Minds in Hatay” submitted to WSIS Photo Contest, was selected as a finalist out of 246 entries.

Launched last year by the Vodafone Foundation- which aims to drive social change and development- in collaboration with the Habitat Association, the “AI Stars” project has achieved significant success at the WSIS Prizes 2025, one of the United Nations’ most prestigious award programmes in the field of communication technologies and sustainable development. The project, which provides AI training to young people, was shortlisted among 20 global initiatives in the Capacity Building category and was awarded the title of Champion ranking among the projects that received the highest public support. With more than 2 million votes cast both locally and internationally, the strong level of interest played a key role in securing this achievement. The award ceremony will be held on 7 July at the WSIS+20 Summit in Geneva.

In addition, the photo titled “AI Stars: Empowering Young Minds in Hatay” was selected as a finalist among 246 submissions to the WSIS 2025 Photo Contest. The photo will be featured on the official website of the WSIS+20 High-Level Event and shared across the social media channels of the WSIS processes.

Commenting on the award, Hasan Süel, Chairman of Vodafone Turkey Foundation, said:

“With the AI Stars project, which we launched last year in partnership with the Habitat Association, our goal is to pioneer breakthroughs in education and technology. We aim to equip young generations with the skills they need to navigate the digital world and empower them to combine their creativity with emerging technologies like AI which is increasingly shaping every field today. Within the scope of the project, we provide middle school students aged 11 to 14 and high school students aged 14 to 18 with comprehensive exposure to AI. These students not only learn about AI but also have the opportunity to develop their own projects. We are proud that the impact and contribution of our project to the digitalization of young people has been recognized globally and honoured with an international award. I congratulate all the teams who contributed to this success. As the Vodafone Foundation, we will continue to advance this project in partnership with the Habitat Association”.

Commenting on the award, Bora Caldu, Chair of the Executive Committee of the Habitat Association, said:

“The recognition of AI Stars project as a Champion at the WSIS Prizes 2025 organized by the United Nations highlights the remarkable achievements of our youth in embracing AI and technology on a global scale. Winning this prestigious award- garnering over 2 million votes in the Capacity Building category-is not only a testament to the success of the project itself but also a significant milestone in Turkey’s digital transformation journey. This award is a strong indication that the concrete steps we have taken to equip young people with digital skills are being recognized on a global scale. It also reflects the international confidence in Turkey’s vision of nurturing generations that not only consume but also produce technology. Being named a Champion in a global platform such as the WSIS is not only a testament to the impact of our project but also serves as an inspiring example for similar initiatives. In the first year alone, we delivered AI training to over 36,000 middle and high school students, empowering them to develop their own projects. The fact that every 1 TL invested yields a social return of 5.34 TL clearly demonstrates the significant social value and lasting impact of the project. Our next goal is the expand access to AI education for even more children, empowering them to actively shape the technologies of the future. As the Vodafone Foundation and Habitat Association, we remain committed to forging stronger and more inclusive collaborations to shape Turkey’s digital future.”

Targeting 55,000 Students in the Next Phase

Within the scope of the ‘AI Stars’ project, AI training is provided to middle school students aged 11-14 and high school students aged 14-18 across Turkey. Through a variety of tools, students gain a comprehensive understanding of AI, create content, and develop their own projects. At the same time, the programme offers young people access to global content and events that support broader development. In the first year, the project reached over 36.000 students across 12 provinces with the support of 183 volunteer educators at 58 different locations. Each 1 TL invested in the project generated a social return of 5.34 TL. In the upcoming term, the goal is to expand the programme’s reach to 55.000 students.

Widespread Interest with 972 Project Applications

The WSIS Prizes award programme is held annually to promote and showcase projects that foster innovative and effective use of information and communication technologies aligned with global development goals. In 2025, a total of 972 projects from 18 categories participated in the application process. Only 20 projects in each category qualified for the public voting stage. Following this global voting, 5 projects were honoured with the prestigious title of Champion.