Kindling the Flame
Zoroastrian Youth Impact Challenge
Purpose of the Competition
To inspire the next generation of Zoroastrian youth to design meaningful, scalable, and sustainable service projects that create measurable impact within the community.
Competition Overview
The Zoro Youth Impact Challenge invites teams from across the world to conceptualize and present innovative community service projects that address real needs within the global community, including but not restricted to education, employment, environment, welfare, health & wellness, cultural preservation, and community engagement. The aim is to empower Zoroastrian youth to lead change and foster collaboration, creativity, and compassion through impactful initiatives.
Team Composition
- Each team must have a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 6 members.
- At least 50% of the team must be below 35 years of age. Teams are encouraged to include members of varying ages to promote intergenerational collaboration.
- At least one team member must be attending WZC 2026 in person to present the project if selected as a finalist.
- No participating team members can be a part of another team.
Evaluation Criteria
The projects will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Projects must be service-oriented and articulate tangible benefits to the community at large.
- Projects should clearly define how they impact the Zoroastrian community and/or are driven by Zoroastrian principles.
- Projects must show clear youth involvement & leadership.
- Project members must demonstrate their commitment to implement the project.
- Each project must be practical and scalable within a budget ceiling of USD 50,000.
- Projects must have a clear timeline, deliverables, and be designed for implementation within 12-18 months after WZC 2026.
- Preference will be given to projects that can be replicated in other regions.
Competition Format
- Phase 1: Submission Round
For this round, each qualifying team must submit a Project Proposal (max 5 pages) including:
- Problem Statement & Objective
- Target Beneficiaries
- Proposed Activities
- Timeline
- Budget Outline
- Expected Impact or Measure of Success
- Role of Team Members
- Phase 2: Shortlisting Proposals will be then reviewed by a panel of mentors and community leaders and top 4-5 finalist teams will be selected and invited to present at WZC 2026. Teams will receive mentorship to refine their proposals and presentations.
- Phase 3: Live Presentation at WZC 2026
- Finalist teams will present their project plans during the Congress.
- Each team will get:
- 5-7 minutes for presentation
- 5-7 minutes for Q&A from audience
- The winner will be determined by a panel of judges and/or by live audience voting.
Prize Money
The winning team will receive a cash award of SGD 1,000.
Key Dates
- Proposal Submission Deadline: 30 April 2026
- Shortlist Announcement: 31 July 2026
- Final Presentations: During 13th WZC 2026
Mentorship & Support
Shortlisted teams will be paired with a mentor from their region - experienced in community service, leadership, or project management — who will provide guidance throughout the process.
Organizers
This competition is co-coordinated by Hoshaang Gotla & Parshan Khosravi. For questions or queries, email the Coordinators at WZCimpact@gmail.com.
Parshan Khosravi
Hoshaang Gotla
The two Coordinators are supported by the organizers of the WZC 2026, which is being hosted by The Parsi Zoroastrian Association of South East Asia. For queries about the broader congress, visit www.wzcsg26.com and/or email us at contactus@wzcsg26.com .
Disclaimers
WZC 2026 does not guarantee seed funds for any projects. The organizers will make best-faith efforts to connect the top teams to potential donors to secure some financial support or implementation grants to launch their projects post-congress.
1. The organizers of WZC 2026 reserve the right to amend the competition’s rules at any point in time at their discretion.
2. The organizers of WZC 2026 reserve the right to deny admission into the competition, at their discretion.
Register Your Interest Here
(and expect to hear back from the coordinators Hoshaang and Parshan soon)