The opportunities for youth to make their mark on the world have never been greater. Yet while youth pursue a brighter future, many face limited access to the opportunities they need to be successful.

Currently there are 75 million youth unemployed around the world, a symptom of the mismatch between education and in-demand skills in the job market. Globally, one in four of the working poor are youth. To help young people escape the cycle of poverty, we need to provide education, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities that will give them the skills to move ahead and positively contribute to their communities. Their future wellbeing—as well as the future of the global economy--depends upon how well we can ensure their success.

Inspired by the young people who are driving change in their lives and communities, Microsoft is committed to empowering today’s youth to realize their full potential. The Microsoft YouthSpark program works to create opportunities for young people around the world and has already touched 100 million youth in its first year. YouthSpark has supported programs that provide youth access to the latest technology, enable educators with tools to bring technology to classrooms, provide employment and entrepreneurship training and more.

Learn more about how Microsoft YouthSpark is helping create new opportunities for 300 million young people to build their futures.