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Hub Engagement

Last update: March 2026

Hub members collaborate to develop their leadership skills, implement impactful projects, and support one another in finding their voice, learning to listen, influencing others, managing for results, fostering constructive dialogue, and building consensus. Each Hub is unique, existing at different stages of development. It's important to set goals that are right for your Hub, whether you're a new group with just a few members or a well-established team.

As you begin each new Curatorship Year, work together to define your goals and ensure all members are committed to and actively contribute to your mission and vision. This guide is designed to help you maximize your Hub's engagement and governance, providing the support you need to thrive.

Hub Foundations
  • General Hub Principles
  • Local Hub Charter
Annual Planning
  • Annual Community Calendar
  • Curatorship Leadership Cycle

Building and Sustaining Membership
  • Recruitment and Onboarding of New Members
  • Hub Culture
Hub Tools
  • Forum Spaces Engagement
  • Virtual Session Toolkit
  • Twin Cities Programme
Archive

Hub Foundations

General Hub Principles

The following principles summarize the key foundations outlined in the Community Charter and guide how Global Shapers Hubs operate.

  • Global Shapers Hubs are city-based volunteering communities designed to harness the power of collaborative decision-making and collective action.
  • Hubs are integral parts of the Global Shapers Community, a non-profit organization headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
  • The Community’s mission is to develop youth leaders, accelerate youth action and amplify youth voices.
  • Each Hub, composed of at least 20 members, is led by a Curatorship team serving a one-year mandate. Hubs are supported by a sub-regional Community Champion and a Community Manager who serves as the primary contact with Global Shapers HQ.
  • Hubs are impartial and independent. They may not be formed around political, racial, religious or sectoral affiliations and must reflect the diversity and demographics of their respective cities.
  • Hubs are responsible for prioritizing impactful projects that serve their communities, as well as meaningful engagement opportunities for their members.
  • Hubs organize regular meetings, ideally twice per month, and at minimum once per month. Members are expected to attend at least 60% of meetings and contribute to at least one project per year.
  • Hubs provide safe and inclusive spaces for the personal and professional development of their members.

Local Hub Charter

It is essential that local Hubs create a written constitution to set expectations, avoid misunderstandings and maintain a standard of excellence for members. This document should be locally relevant while adhering to the Global Shapers Community Charter as the foundation for all local guidelines.

  • As a Hub, co-design and define common values and responsibilities for all Hub members to foster accountability.
  • To create ownership, have new and existing Hub members sign the charter in a hub meeting.
  • You don’t have to build a Charter from scratch, use previous Hub resources, ask other Hubs and seek guidance from your Community Champion.

When it comes to your local guidelines, you may wish to ask yourself:

  • Do we have a charter and have all members read it? Are the requirements still relevant?
  • What is our Hub's engagement policy? Are there clear expectations for all members?
  • Do you have membership selection committees or bodies appointed to fulfil this role?
  • What are your recruitment cycles? Are your recruitment practices inclusive to all?
  • Does your Hub have a probation period and defined onboarding process for new members?
  • How do you welcome, celebrate and mentor new members to fully integrate into the Hub?
  • Does your Hub have a clear transfer policy? Where is it communicated?
  • What is your Hub's leadership structure? Do you have distributed roles and responsibilities?
  • Do Hub projects have clear focal points? Does your Hub have an Impact Officer?
  • Do you have a conflict resolution policy and/or committee to terminate Hub membership?
“Our charter has evolved significantly since the first iteration. We conduct an annual review and amend the charter at Hub retreats. This helps set and clarify expectations for all Hub members" - Durrie Hassan, Hong Kong Hub

Annual Planning

Annual Community Calendar

The Global Shapers Calendar Year begins on 1 July and ends on 30 June. While each year our Community Calendar changes, many milestones stay the same. For example, the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting happens each year in January, elections run each year in February, and new Curators, Vice-Curators and Impact Officers begin their leadership mandate on 1 July. Review our community's yearly milestones and key processes below:

JULY

  • 01 July Curatorship Transition: Curators, Vice-Curators and Impact Officers begin their new mandate.
  • 01 July Governing Bodies Transition: Governing Bodies begin their new mandate.
  • Global Shapers Annual Summit welcomes Hub leaders to Geneva, Switzerland.
  • Global Shapers Foundation Board convenes in Geneva, Switzerland.

AUGUST

  • Hubs host retreats (either locally or sub-regionally) to set goals for the year ahead.
  • Hubs conduct membership audits before the Annual Meeting application opens.

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

  • Alumni Celebration Day celebrates Shapers who have recently transitioned to our alumni community.

NOVEMBER

  • The Annual Meeting #Davos50 representatives are announced in our newsletter.

DECEMBER

  • End-of-Year Celebrations showcase accomplishments and recognize members.
  • Project Showcases spotlight leading projects and initiatives per region worldwide.

JANUARY

  • The Annual Meeting welcomes 50 Global Shapers and 2,000 World Economic Forum members to Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, to build problem-solving initiatives.
  • All Global Shapers are invited to follow the Annual Meeting and watch live sessions.
  • Global Shapers Board Meeting convenes in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland.

FEBRUARY

MARCH

  • 01 March: Deadline to submit elections results to Global Shapers Headquarters.
  • SHAPE Events often begin worldwide. Be sure to attend your regional SHAPE!
  • Incoming Curators are invited to register for the Global Shapers Annual Summit.
  • Hub Audit closes Hubs that fail to uphold the standards outlined in our Charter.

APRIL

  • Alumni Celebration Day celebrates Shapers who have recently transitioned to our alumni community.

MAY

  • May is our Month of Impact! Impact Officers share missing projects and progress on Forum Spaces.
  • Hub leaders have 1 month left in their roles. This is the final push to achieve annual goals!

JUNE

  • 30 June Hub Leadership Ends: Curator, Vice-Curator and Impact Officer mandates come to an end.
  • Curators, Vice-Curators and Impact Officers complete the end-of-year Annual Review to share feedback.
  • All Global Shapers complete the end-of-year Annual Review to shape our future strategy.

Curatorship Leadership Cycle

To support Hub leaders throughout their one-year mandate, Global Shapers HQ developed a self-paced 12-month leadership cycle structured around five core phases. These phases reflect the responsibilities and skill sets required to lead a thriving Hub.

This roadmap supports both high-performing Hubs building on existing momentum and Hubs launching, rebooting or seeking renewed direction.

Phase 1: Learn, Evaluate and Strategize (July – August)

Start by understanding where your Hub stands and where it needs to go.

  • Review the Community Charter and relevant Official Guides.
  • Assess whether your Hub meets minimum standards (membership, diversity, governance, engagement and impact).
  • Audit ongoing projects, member participation levels and partnerships.
  • Update Forum Spaces and ensure records are accurate.
  • Define 3–5 clear annual priorities with measurable outcomes.
  • Align your leadership team around a realistic roadmap for the year.

For new or rebooting Hubs, this is the time to formalize foundational policies, confirm your core team and clarify your initial focus. Why this matters: Strong Hubs build intentionally. Struggling Hubs regain clarity here.

Phase 2: Mobilize and Connect (September – October)

Shift from planning to activation.

  • Assign clear roles and responsibilities aligned with your goals.
  • Recruit strategically to strengthen diversity and missing skills.
  • Hold regular, structured meetings to maintain momentum.
  • Organize a Hub retreat to deepen alignment.
  • Identify or validate a clear local need, assess your Hub’s capacity and commitment to address it, and form partnerships that reinforce your priorities and accelerate impact.

This phase strengthens both execution and cohesion, whether scaling existing initiatives or launching new ones. Why this matters: Strong structure and shared ownership turn plans into measurable progress.

Phase 3: Assess, Share and Celebrate (November – December)

Pause to reflect and strengthen culture.

  • Evaluate progress against your annual objectives and impact metrics.
  • Address challenges openly and constructively.
  • Share project updates and measurable impact on Forum Spaces.
  • Participate in the Project Showcase organized by your Community Champion.
  • Communicate achievements to partners and HQ.
  • Celebrate milestones and reinforce member motivation.

For struggling Hubs, this is a key recalibration moment. For high-performing Hubs, it reinforces discipline and visibility. Why this matters: Mid-year reflection sustains momentum, strengthens culture and ensures transparency.

Phase 4: Support, Motivate and Facilitate (January – March)

Focus on democratic leadership and continuity.

  • Prepare for fair and transparent elections.
  • Encourage diverse and qualified leadership candidates.
  • Facilitate inclusive discussions around the future direction of the Hub.
  • Ensure election proposals and processes are clearly communicated and documented.
  • Continue delivering ongoing projects and maintain momentum to ensure commitments are fulfilled before the end of the mandate.

Strong elections are a sign of healthy governance, stability and trust. Why this matters: Leadership transitions define long-term sustainability and institutional credibility

Phase 5: Deliver, Reflect and Empower (April – June)

Conclude your mandate with clarity and responsibility.

  • Finalize ongoing projects and ensure impact reporting is complete and measurable.
  • Complete the Annual Review.
  • Gather structured feedback from members.
  • Document lessons learned and best practices for continuity.
  • Prepare a smooth and structured leadership handover.

For new Hubs, ensure you meet minimum membership, governance and project delivery standards. Why this matters: Responsible closure and transition protects the Hub’s legacy and empowers the next leadership team to build forward.

Building and Sustaining Membership

Recruitment and Onboarding of New Members

As a Hub, design a recruitment process that is repeatable, easy-to-execute and relevant to your local context. Be intentional about recruiting diverse and committed Shapers – both experienced leaders and candidates with potential. Read the Recruitment Overview section in the Hub Membership guide for additional details.

“When we host a local event, for example our series #ShapeTalk, we take five minutes to introduce our Hub and highlight our open recruitment policy to the audience. This helps build awareness and a diverse pool of applicants.” - Akil Logeswaran, Munich Hub

Develop a written document capturing the essential knowledge and actions required when new members join your Hub. Share this document with all Hub members to support the onboarding of new Shapers. Reference the community’s Official Guides and complement it with your Hub’s charter and other local resources, including a list of all Shapers.

  • Ensure new Shapers complete their formal registration on Forum Spaces.
  • Encourage existing Shapers to share their expertise and serve as mentors for new members, fostering a supportive and knowledgeable community.
  • Clearly communicate the Hub’s participation requirements, setting realistic expectations to ensure everyone is on the same page.
  • Maintain records of join dates and ages of Shapers to track when they will transition to Alumni, and plan something special to celebrate Shaper birthdays, adding a personal touch to their journey.
“Building strong, trusting relationships is the foundation of creating impact. We host a Hub retreat and start with a one- hour orientation session for new members within their first month of joining the community.” - Tanya Schmitt, Minneapolis Hub

Hub Culture

Strong Hubs are built on more than projects and governance. They are sustained by trust, accountability and shared purpose. Hub culture shapes how members collaborate, make decisions, handle conflict and support one another. A thriving culture does not happen by accident — it is intentionally designed and continuously nurtured. Attracting members is only the first step. Sustained engagement requires meaningful opportunities for personal growth, leadership and contribution. A strong culture begins with a shared vision and a clear sense of purpose, paired with an inclusive environment where every member feels valued and empowered.

What Strong Hub Culture Looks Like

  • Members feel safe to express ideas and disagree respectfully
  • Roles and expectations are clear
  • Participation is active and reliable
  • Constructive feedback is welcomed
  • Successes are celebrated and challenges are addressed openly
  • Leadership is distributed, not centralized

Culture should reinforce both performance and belonging.

Building Trust and Ownership

Trust grows when members feel heard, respected and supported.

  • Start meetings with meaningful check-ins
  • Encourage members to share updates, challenges and insights
  • Balance structured work with informal connection
  • Recognize contributions publicly and consistently

High-performing Hubs protect this space. Struggling Hubs must intentionally rebuild it.

Designing Engaging Experiences

Engagement requires rhythm, structure and inspiration.

  • Balance project work with learning opportunities and social interaction
  • Encourage members to lead sessions based on their expertise
  • Invite local stakeholders or guest speakers to broaden perspectives
  • Create opportunities for collaboration beyond formal meetings

A Hub that only “meets” without inspiration will lose momentum.

Hub Retreats: Aligning and Recharging

Hub retreats are powerful moments to strengthen culture and direction.

  • Use retreats to align on goals, values and expectations
  • Dedicate time for open dialogue and feedback
  • Document decisions and assign follow-up responsibilities
  • Schedule retreats strategically (after recruitment cycles or major milestones)
  • Consider inviting Shapers from other Hubs to share experiences

Well-designed retreats reinforce cohesion, accountability and long-term vision.

Addressing Tension Early Conflict is natural in collaborative environments. Avoiding it weakens culture.

  • Establish clear local guidelines and participation expectations
  • Create safe mechanisms to raise concerns
  • Address disengagement early and transparently
  • Revisit expectations when necessary

Healthy Hubs normalize accountability. Why Culture Matters

Projects may attract members, but culture retains them. Strong culture:

  • Increases participation
  • Improves project execution
  • Strengthens leadership pipelines
  • Protects institutional memory
  • Builds resilience during transitions

Without culture, even well-designed Hubs struggle to sustain impact.

You may also consult the "Volunteering Management Toolkit" developed by the Brussels Hub, a practical guide to ensure a high-quality volunteer experience, prevent burnout and maximize the impact of volunteers.
Volunteering Management Toolkit - Brussels Hub

Hub Tools

In addition to strong governance and culture, Hubs rely on practical tools to operate effectively and collaborate across the network.

Forum Spaces Engagement

As mentioned in the Membership Journey guide, Global Shapers become official community members once they gain access to Forum Spaces, the World Economic Forum’s secure engagement platform, accessible exclusively to Forum partners and community members, including Global Shapers and Alumni. All members are required to maintain an active account, as Forum Spaces is the official system used to verify membership, manage community engagement and connect Hubs globally, at every stage of the membership journey.

Training Video - Everything You Need to Know
Training Presentation

Global Shapers benefit from Forum Spaces by:

Activity Feed: Send important updates with the option to notify members by email, tag your Hub in other Forum Spaces posts and stay alert in case other Forum Spaces users get in touch with you.

Library: Upload your Hub's official documents like the Hub's local charter, newsletters, annual reports, performance tracker, Curatorship applications, historic project tracker from your Impact Officer and any other useful files.

You can create customized categories for your different type of documents. If this is the case, make sure to always type the exact same name each time you upload a file that belongs to this customized category.

Calendar: Upload all mandatory hub meetings and relevant events for your hub members. You can keep the history of all the meetings held in the past with minutes under each calendar entry!

Virtual Session Toolkit

Are you gearing up to host a virtual workshop, conversation, or meeting with your Hub or local stakeholders? This toolkit is your go-to resource, packed with essential tips on setting clear intentions, testing technologies, crafting effective agendas, and refining your facilitation approach to ensure successful virtual sessions.

1. Intention Setting

In virtual sessions, without the benefit of non-verbal cues or physical tools, honing your virtual facilitation skills is crucial for reading participant energy and maintaining engagement. Equally vital is setting clear intentions for the atmosphere and objectives you aim to achieve. Whether advancing long-term Hub plans, strengthening projects, or fostering new relationships among members, defining these objectives and desired outcomes upfront is key.

2. Testing Technology

If Zoom is your platform of choice, ensure both you and participants are comfortable with its features beforehand. Provide introductory materials and share guidelines, such as joining with a stable internet connection and using a headset for clarity. Consider incorporating collaborative tools like Google Docs or Mural for interactive sessions.

3. Design Your Agenda

Time is precious in Hub meetings, so start and end promptly. Tailor your agenda to suit your group size and session goals, incorporating check-ins, focused work segments, sharing sessions, and clear next steps. Vary formats to keep sessions engaging and invite participant input for future topics.

4. Facilitation Approach

Facilitating virtually often benefits from a team approach, especially for larger groups. Roles like main facilitator, co-facilitator, technology host, energy keeper, and harvester help ensure smooth sessions. Focus on creating conducive virtual spaces, nurturing participant engagement, and managing session logistics effectively.

Twin Cities Programme

The Global Shapers Twin Cities Programme is inspired by the sister city concept and enables broad-based, long-term partnerships between two city-based Hubs. The main goal of the Twin Cities Programme is to strengthen collaboration within the Global Shapers Community through the exchange of insights, ideas and best practices.

Our Twin Cities Programme enables participating Hubs to:

  • Gain insights into different cities worldwide through regular contact with twin Hubs.
  • Exchange and replicate best practices for Hub recruitment, engagement and impact.
  • Build new skills through peer-led trainings and mentorship provided by twin Hubs.
  • Access peer support for Hub leaders (Curators, Vice-Curators and Impact Officers).
  • Explore joint challenges and develop various approaches for place-based solutions.
  • Join forces to launch new global initiatives and share changemaking methodologies.
  • Influence global affairs through long-term cooperation, collaboration and partnership
The Vice-Curator of each Hub is responsible to oversee the implementation of the Twin Cities Programme and facilitate the exchange of best practices, insights, ideas, learnings and solutions between Hubs over the Curatorship year.

Vice-Curators should set-up regular calls that bring Hub members together to exchange ideas. We propose the following structure and topics for your upcoming calls:

  • Step 1: Where do we come from? Get to know more about your twin Hub’s city, community and country. What challenges and opportunities does their community face?
  • Step 2: How do we get things done? Get to know how your twin Hub is organized. How do they recruit, distribute roles, what do they put in their local charter, and more?
  • Step 3: What are we working on now? Get to know what projects your twin Hub delivers. How do they enable positive and lasting impact in their local community?
  • Step 4: Where do we want to go? Get to know about your twin Hub’s aspirations and plans. What issues will they will work on next? What space exists for collaboration?
  • Step 5: What have we learnt? Share with each other your key learnings and what you take away from this experience. Take a moment to share your gratitude and appreciation.

There is no set time commitment for the Twin Cities Programme. Varying opportunities for engagement allow participants to adjust involvement based on their capacity. Additional activities that participating Hubs can consider include but are not limited to:

  • Development of a buddy system for new Hub members from different city-based Hubs.
  • Joint onboarding sessions with new Hub members and Community Champions.
  • Creation of a repository of ideas, best practices or solutions for creating lasting change.
  • Working sessions between similar positions (for example, Curators or Wellbeing Officers).
  • Brainstorming sessions to exchange tactics for recruitment, engagement or elections.
  • Guest speakers, facilitators or Firestarter remarks for Hub meetings from twin Hubs.
  • Joint projects, cross-Hub collaborations or global initiatives to make a difference.
  • In-person Twin Cities visits to see first-hand Hub members and the local community.

The Twin Cities Programme is not intended as a fundraising mechanism for paired Hubs. Hubs should not exchange donations or ask for financial contributions from one another. Contact your Community Manager or Global Shapers Headquarters for more information.

Your Hub has not found a Twin yet? No worries, there are still plenty of Hubs to choose from! Discuss with your Hub what your Twinning objectives for this year should be. Do you want to learn how to successfully recruit and retain members? Do you want to find inspiration from great existing projects? Or your goal is to broaden views of your members and learn about youth activism across the oceans? Once you have your objectives set, find a perfect match and reach out to them directly on Forum Spaces to suggest twinning for this year.

Archive - Curatorship and Impact Curriculums

The following archive includes past Curatorship and Impact curriculum sessions for reference and continued learning.

Curatorship Curriculum Virtual Sessions in 2020-2021

Curatorship Curriculum Virtual Sessions in 2021-2022

Curatorship Curriculum Virtual Sessions in 2022-2023

Impact Curriculum Virtual Sessions 2021-2022

Impact Curriculum Virtual Sessions 2022-2023

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