A youth-led platform with 1,000 stories and 3 million readers

Some students, Jiayuan Tian says, only discover opportunities after the deadline has passed, or never hear about them at all. Others grow up surrounded by people who know about scholarships, fellowships, conferences or exchange programs. "OneXplore tries to close that gap," he says.

OneXplore is a youth-led platform that helps young people find global education opportunities they might otherwise never hear about. It began from a simple observation, he says. Many young people do not lack ambition, but they often lack access to clear information. The platform works in three ways: sharing open-access information about scholarships and youth programs, publishing youth stories so students can learn from real examples, and building small programs that help young people turn information into action.

“I believe young people should not only be invited into conversations about the future, but trusted to help shape them. Much of my work has been about creating spaces where young people can tell their own stories, access opportunities, and turn their ideas into action.”

Jiayuan Tian

So far, he says, OneXplore has shared 100+ global education opportunities, published 1,000+ youth stories and reached more than 3 million readers across its platforms.

"I started this because I know how uneven access to information can be," he says. "When I was younger, I learned how powerful one opportunity can be." Educational opportunity, he says, "is also about language, confidence, networks, and access to the right information at the right time." Sometimes one link or one story "can change what a young person believes is possible."

He is a graduate student at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs.

The next stage, he says, is about making the platform more practical. He wants to organise the opportunity database more clearly, create beginner-friendly application guides, support bilingual storytelling and host small online sessions where students can ask questions before they apply.

"My next move is to make OneXplore more useful, searchable, and welcoming for first-generation and underrepresented students who are curious about the world but need a clearer path into it," he says.