Apply Now: Youth Climate Mapping Fellowship (Botswana)

Deadline: 27-Sep-2026

The Youth Climate Mapping Fellowship supports young people in Botswana to use digital mapping, community data collection, and climate information to identify local climate risks and promote climate action. Selected youth groups and OpenStreetMap communities receive a US$400 grant, free online training, and verifiable digital credentials through the Yoma platform. The hybrid programme is designed for young people aged 15–24 and does not require previous mapping experience. Adolescent girls and young women are particularly encouraged to apply. The fellowship is a hybrid youth climate-action initiative launched by the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) in collaboration with UNICEF YOMA and the Botswana Climate Change Network.

The programme combines:

Digital mapping. OpenStreetMap technology. Climate-risk mapping. Community data collection. Climate advocacy. Youth engagement. Local resilience planning. Its purpose is to help young people develop practical skills that can be used to understand and communicate climate risks within their communities. The fellowship is open to youth groups and OpenStreetMap communities based in Botswana. Applicants must meet the following conditions: The group must be based in Botswana. Group members must be aged 15–24. Each group should consist of approximately 20 participants. No previous mapping experience is required. The programme particularly encourages applications from: Adolescent girls. Young women. Youth groups interested in climate action. OpenStreetMap communities interested in climate-risk mapping. Climate mapping involves collecting and visualizing geographic information to understand how climate-related risks affect particular places and communities. Young participants can use mapping and community data to help identify issues such as: Areas exposed to climate hazards. Community infrastructure and resources. Local environmental vulnerabilities. Locations requiring additional resilience measures. Community-level information relevant to climate advocacy. The fellowship focuses on building the skills needed to collect and use this type of local information. Selected groups receive both financial support and training. Each selected youth group or OpenStreetMap community receives a grant of US$400 to support mapping and community data-collection activities. The funding can help groups carry out the practical activities required to collect local information and support their climate-mapping work.

Participants receive free access to self-paced online courses, including

Introduction to Open Mapping for Climate Action

ChatMap for Field Mapping. These courses are designed to introduce participants to open mapping and digital tools that can be used for field-based community data collection. Participants can earn verifiable digital credentials through the Yoma platform after completing relevant learning and programme activities. These credentials can provide evidence of newly acquired skills and participation. Local communities often have detailed knowledge about environmental conditions and climate-related challenges. Digital mapping can help transform that local knowledge into structured geographic information that can be used for: Community planning. Resilience initiatives. Identifying local risks. Communicating environmental needs. Supporting evidence-based climate action. The fellowship gives young people an opportunity to combine digital skills with community engagement and climate action. The programme is not limited to online learning. Participants are expected to apply mapping skills through practical activities involving their communities.

This can involve:

Collecting local geographic information. Identifying climate-related risks. Engaging community members. Recording relevant local data. Using digital mapping tools. Connecting mapping results with climate advocacy. The combination of digital mapping and community participation helps ensure that the information collected reflects local conditions. Applicants do not need to be experienced mappers. The fellowship is designed to build participants’ skills through structured learning and practical activities. This makes the opportunity relevant to youth groups that: Are interested in climate action. Want to learn digital mapping. Have community engagement experience. Want to develop data-collection skills. Have little or no previous experience with OpenStreetMap. The fellowship follows a combination of training, mapping, and community engagement.

The process can be understood as:

Eligible youth groups or OpenStreetMap communities apply. Selected groups receive a US$400 grant.

Participants gain access to free self-paced online courses

Participants learn open mapping and field-mapping techniques

Groups conduct mapping and community data-collection activities. Collected information can support local climate advocacy and resilience efforts.

Participants can earn verifiable digital credentials through Yoma

Youth groups interested in the fellowship should prepare around their ability to participate as a group and carry out practical climate-mapping activities.

Useful preparation steps include:

Confirm eligibility. Make sure the group is based in Botswana and its members meet the 15–24 age requirement. Form the participant group. Organize a group of approximately 20 participants. Identify a local climate issue. Consider which climate risks or environmental challenges are relevant to the community. Think about the mapping activity. Determine what local information could be collected and mapped. Plan community engagement. Consider how residents and other community members can contribute to the data-collection process. Consider the use of the data. Explain how mapping results could support climate advocacy, awareness, or resilience. Prepare participants for training. Ensure members can complete the required online learning and participate in practical activities. Plan the use of the