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YSDL – Young Sustainable Development Leaders

Implementation date: Since 2019

With youth making up the largest portion of the population in Mongolia, the GSUBH realizes that there is an exceeding need for active youth role in addressing some of the challenges facing our society. This generation has inherited enormous global challenges, but has the ability to confront the status quo and offer youth led solutions for change. The Young Sustainable Development Leaders (YSDL) program therefore started as an awareness campaign to trigger understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in relation to everyday lives of young people, and further lead to initiatives by the same target population themselves toapply these SDGs in their lives. During the initiation of the program in 2017, we were able to select 40 students and mentor them over three months to create their own social entrepreneurship project based on SDGs. Students received workshops from experienced industry leaders taking action towards the sustainable development of Mongolia. After 

the workshops, the students were divided into their own groups and brainstormed on social entrepreneurship projects that could help our community to lead a sustainable life. The vision of this theme of activity is to trigger university students’ consideration of SDGs and how to apply them to their everyday lives using their creativity, innovation and initiative. 

The Global Shaper Ulaanbaatar Hub re-launched YSDL in September 2019 with 35 new students. Once the project’s guided section concluded, the winning team was expected to start implementing its project with a seed-funding of three million MNT it received as a prize from the GSUBH. YSDL participants formed teams of 4-6, and have been committed to weekly YSDL meeting that consist of practice or experience sharing workshops, trainings, and field trips, as well as weekly meetings with two of their respective Mentors allocated from the Hub. The weekly meetings that took place every other Saturday took into account the students’ development both professionally and personally; i.e. CV writing, project proposal writing, public speaking, meetings with the professionals of different sectors and mentorship meetings tailored to each team’s project needs. The project also attracted funding from The Asia Foundation in Mongolia, the respective judges from the United Nations Development Program in Mongolia and Mobicom Corporation.


Others

Global Shapers Ulaanbaatar Hub – Annual Report 2024-2025

Dear Hub Members and Friends,

We set out on our Curatorship term with the objective of making our Hub more inclusive and diverse, and creating an enabling environment where our Shapers could effectively collaborate to make our city of Ulaanbaatar healthier, greener, and more equitable.

We began the Curatorship term by redefining Ulaanbaatar Hub’s vision and mission through a co creation workshop to construct statements that serve as stronger guiding principles for addressing pressing local challenges. Our updated vision is “to be a thriving community of young changemakers to shape a sustainable and vibrant Ulaanbaatar.” Our mission has become “to drive creative, innovative, and inclusive solutions through community development projects and advocacy for effective policies.”

To implement our mission, we welcomed a record number of 12 new Shapers through our annual recruitment cycle, bringing our 2024-2025 community to 30 active members. With expertise ranging from law and finance to social entrepreneurship and activism, our Shapers represent over 11 diverse sectors. To ensure a smooth transition into the Hub, we introduced a multi-month, phased onboarding process. We also introduced a policy to reduce potential financial barriers to membership fees.

This was a critical year for our projects. Two of our projects, Ulaanbaatar Oasis and UBeSafe, formally registered as non-profits, reflecting the significance of the issues they address. They will remain a part of the Hub’s roster of projects that Shapers champion, and we’re excited to see their capacity to sustain long-term impact grow as stand-alone organizations. Our other projects grew, shifted, and expanded as well, and you’ll have the opportunity to read more about them in this report.

We’ve organized a number of events to improve engagement between current Shapers and alumni, recognizing the importance of intergenerational knowledge sharing and collaboration. We’re also proud that our Shapers attended numerous high-level international and regional events representing the Ulaanbaatar Hub and youth, from the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting (Davos) to the Global Shapers Community’s Asia-Pacific region’s largest event, SHAPE APAC. We spoke at high-level panels and presented our community projects on global stages.

This year would not have been possible without your engagement, trust, and collaboration–thank you. We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve as your Curatorship Team. We are excited to pass the baton to the incoming 2025-2026 Curatorship, who we are confident will continue to make the Hub more vibrant, more representative, and impactful.

The 2024-2025 Curatorship Team

To download: Global Shapers Ulaanbaatar Hub – Annual Report 2024-2025


Implementation date:

Manul’s Smile (Мануулын инээмсэглэл)

A children’s mindfulness and emotional well-being initiative by the Global Shapers Ulaanbaatar Hub.

Stay tuned — information on how to purchase is coming soon!

Overview

Manul’s Smile (Мануулын инээмсэглэл) is a children’s picture book designed to introduce 4–8-year-olds to mindfulness, emotional regulation, and simple breathing techniques. The story is inspired by Mongolia’s wildlife and landscapes, using familiar animals to teach calming practices in a relatable way.

The book includes guided exercises for children, practical tips for parents and teachers, and a dedicated section about the Manul (Pallas’s cat). All content is reviewed by a child psychologist, wildlife biologist, and editor.

Why This Project Matters

  • Childhood stress and anxiety levels are rising across Mongolia.
  • Many households, especially in rural areas, have limited access to children’s books.
  • Emotional regulation skills are not widely taught at an early age.
  • The story features Manul, a wild cat native to Mongolia that faces declining numbers and habitat pressure. By using the Manul as the book’s main character, the project helps raise public awareness about this species

Manul’s Smile (Мануулын инээмсэглэл) provides an accessible, culturally rooted tool to help children understand their emotions and learn how to calm their minds.

What the Book Teaches

  • Balloon breathing
  • Wind breathing
  • Safe-space visualization
  • Naming and recognizing emotions
  • Mindful attention through storytelling

Each technique is introduced by Mongolian animal characters.

How You Can Support

  • Share the book with families, kindergartens, or educators
  • Spread awareness about children’s mental health
  • Participate in our community outreach

Sponsors: Interstandard Brewery LLC, Bi Ba Bodol.


Implementation date: Since 2024