Application Deadline: April 8th 2021
Nationwide Contest Offers Youth with Innovative Ideas Around Creating Connected, Sustainable and Informed Communities Opportunity to Receive Seed Funding and Mentorship.
T-Mobile, the T-Mobile Foundation and Ashoka are launching the third Changemaker Challenge. Today through April 8, youth ages 13 to 18 can apply for the opportunity to receive seed funding and one of 15 spots at the Changemaker Lab at T-Mobile HQ later this year to support their innovative ideas focused on Technology, the Environment or Education. Over the program’s three years, T-Mobile and the T-Mobile Foundation will have invested nearly $1M in Changemaker Challenge projects and mentorship opportunities.
Why it matters: We want to help focus all the talk about urgent societal and global challenges on finding solutions — and we know America’s youth are up to the challenge to put fresh thinking behind big problems and come up with big ideas that will drive change! With a little help in the form of funding and mentorship, innovative ideas can become extraordinary movements. Now is an amazing time to be a young changemaker!
Who it’s for: Disruptors, trailblazers and entrepreneurs between the ages of 13 to 18 located in the U.S. and Puerto Rico who have bold ideas about how to change their communities and society for good…and the parents, mentors and educators who support them every step of the way!
The third Changemaker Challenge, a nationwide contest that gives trailblazing young leaders the opportunity to take their ideas on how to build more connected, sustainable and informed communities to the next level, launched today by T-Mobile, the T-Mobile Foundation and Ashoka. Now through April 8, 2021, youth ages 13 to 18 with bold ideas focused on Technology, the Environment or Education can enter the challenge. T-Mobile leaders will select 15 winners to receive up to $15,000 in seed funding and the opportunity to participate in the three-day Changemaker Lab later this year. Including this third year of support, T-Mobile and the T-Mobile Foundation have invested nearly $1M in seed funding and mentorship for the changemakers.
Here’s how it works:
- Through April 8, youth can enter the Challenge at the Changemaker Challenge contest website.
- Teams who enter prior to March 4 have the chance to receive one $2,000 early deadline seed money award. All entries submitted by March 4 will get feedback on how to improve their application so they can resubmit by the final April 8 deadline.
- In May, the top 15 teams – five from each of the three categories (Technology, the Environment and Education) – will be named and each team will receive $5,000 in seed funding. They will also get an all-expenses-paid trip to T-Mobile’s headquarters later in 2021 for the Changemaker Lab (pending CDC COVID-19 safety recommendations) that will give teams three days of immersive experiences, including mentorship from T-Mobile executives, skills training from Ashoka and networking opportunities with other teams.
- From the top 15 teams, the best in each category – three teams – will receive an additional $5,000 in seed funding and the chance to pitch their projects to T-Mobile senior leaders.
- One will be selected as the Grand Prize Winner and will receive another $5,000, plus a 1:1 meeting with a T-Mobile leader for additional guidance on how they can grow their venture. The winning team will receive a total of $15,000 in seed money!
Official Website:T-Mobile/Ashoka Changemaker Challenge 2021
