Featured Image: The participants at the 2026 YGC Innovation Festival in Jaffna
For the past 15 years, Yarl IT Hub has been building more than individual programmes. It has been creating a connected ecosystem around innovation, technology and entrepreneurship, bringing together school students, young people, founders, entrepreneurs, volunteers, industry, universities, institutions, partners and the diaspora around a shared purpose.
At the heart of this model is a simple idea: Create opportunities at every stage of the journey. A school student can discover technology, a young person can build practical skills, an aspiring founder can test an idea, and an entrepreneur can access the support needed to grow. YIT’s programmes are therefore designed as connected pathways rather than isolated interventions.
Yarl IT Educational Programmes and Pathways
YIT begins by exposing young people to science, technology, creativity and entrepreneurship at an early stage.
Puthiya Payanangal introduces practical and gamified STEAM learning, engaging more than 5,000 students each year.
Yarl Geek Challenge Junior encourages students to move from learning to creating, identifying problems, developing ideas, building prototypes, working in teams and presenting their solutions. In 2026, the programme engaged more than 4,000 students across the region.
Entrepreneurship Clubs extend this journey inside schools, creating continuity beyond competitions and one-off events while giving students ongoing exposure to entrepreneurship and practical learning.
For young adults, Uki Technology School provides practical technology education designed to prepare learners for the modern workforce, with a growing focus on AI-enabled development.
Across its centres in Jaffna, Kilinochchi and Vavuniya, 1,295 students have completed Uki programmes. Through technical learning, professional development and entrepreneurship exposure, Uki helps young people move towards employment, freelancing, entrepreneurship and technology careers.
For founders and entrepreneurs, Yarl IT Hub offers initiatives designed for different stages and needs.
The Yarl Geek Challenge – Pitch Competition gives aspiring founders a platform to present their ideas, test their business thinking, receive feedback and gain visibility.
The YGC Startup Accelerator takes businesses further through one-to-one mentoring, business training, continuous monitoring, networking, showcasing and demo-day opportunities. Across its journey, 86 start-ups have graduated from the Accelerator, creating a structured pathway from early-stage entrepreneurship towards stronger, market-ready businesses.
The Digital Content Accelerator supports creators through structured learning, mentorship and access to resources, helping them strengthen their capabilities and build opportunities in the digital economy.
WeHub focuses on women entrepreneurs across Northern Sri Lanka, providing training, mentorship and access to resources to help them build stronger and more competitive businesses.
Together, these initiatives create pathways for people to pitch, validate, strengthen, connect and grow.
A strong ecosystem also needs places where people can meet, experiment and collaborate.
Kalam by Yarl IT Hub provides that physical platform through its co-working space, event space, makerspace and creator studio. It creates an environment where entrepreneurs, professionals, students, creators and community members can work, build, learn and connect.
Programmes such as Intern-preneurship, leadership development and diaspora engagement further connect young people with real-world experience, entrepreneurial thinking and wider professional networks.
One of the strongest foundations of Yarl IT Hub is its volunteer community.
Over the years, thousands of volunteers have contributed their time, knowledge, skills, professional experience and networks to create opportunities for others. They mentor students and founders, facilitate programmes, support events, connect communities and share expertise across technology, entrepreneurship and leadership.
This reflects a principle that has shaped YIT from the beginning: Built by the community, for the community. Its impact comes not from one organisation alone, but from a growing network of people who believe in creating opportunities for the next generation.
What makes Yarl IT Hub distinctive is not any one programme, but the connection between them.
A school student can discover and build. A young person can learn and launch. An entrepreneur can validate, grow and scale. And members of the community can return as mentors, volunteers, partners and contributors.
This year’s edition of the YGC Innovation Festival also brought many parts of this ecosystem together across Northern Sri Lanka.
During July and August 2026, YIT organised four district festivals in Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya and Mannar, followed by the main YGC Innovation Festival in Jaffna on August 21–22. These festivals connected students, innovators, entrepreneurs, organisations, volunteers and communities around a shared celebration of innovation, technology and entrepreneurship.
Across the five festivals, more than 20,000 people participated, making the YGC Innovation Festival a visible expression of the wider ecosystem YIT has been building over the past 15 years.
Overall, Yarl IT Hub is keen on building the people, pathways, networks and spaces needed for Northern Sri Lanka’s next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs; one connected ecosystem, built by the community, for the community.