Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes

The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes honors outstanding young leaders who have made a significant positive difference to people and our planet. Nominees, who may range in age from 8 to 18 years old, must have been the prime mover of a service activity, and demonstrated positive spirit and high moral purpose in accomplishing their goals. Nominees must be nominated by responsible adults who have solid knowledge of the young person's heroic activities, and who are not related to the nominee.







Winners of the Barron Prize receive:

• $2,500 to be applied to their higher education or to their service project
• a recognition plaque
• a certificate of recognition
• a signed copy of The Hero's Trail, by Barron Prize founder T.A. Barron
• a copy of Dream Big, our new documentary film featuring several Barron Prize winners
• a heroes study guide, curriculum, and bibliography
• the opportunity to be paired with an adult mentor who is passionate about and working in the winner's area of interest
• the opportunity to connect with other Barron Prize winners through the Young Heroes Listserv
• numerous media opportunities – print, television, and radio

Nomination Deadline: April 30, 2010.

Changing Our World, Inc. Summer Fellowships

Changing Our World, Inc. announces the creation of a summer fellowship provided to highly motivated graduate students currently enrolled in accredited programs of business, international studies, public policy, social sciences and related disciplines. The competitive program aims to contribute to the development of future leaders in the public, philanthropic, and nonprofit sectors, and, as an investment, advance the capacity of nonprofits and social enterprise organizations globally.





Changing Our World Fellows gain important research and analytical experience and have the opportunity to further establish a career within or related to the nonprofit sector. Fellows have the opportunity to network with and work alongside leaders in relevant nonprofit and philanthropy fields, and are also exposed to a variety of projects related to nonprofit finance, corporate social engagement, strategic planning, and technology. They work closely with Changing Our World staff and leadership and meet twice with the firm’s Chairman, at the onset of the fellowship to lay the framework for the months ahead, and at the conclusion to present project findings. Fellows are also awarded the opportunity to write and publish articles on topics of relevance through onPhilanthropy.com, one of the nation’s leading online nonprofit newsletters.




Fellows are selected on the basis of the following criteria:


* Academic achievement

* Creativity of methodology used to address the selected fellowship topic

* Excellent research and leadership skills

* Demonstrated civic engagement

* Commitment to philanthropic and/or nonprofit scholarship




The subject matter of each fellowship varies. Topics are designed by Changing Our World’s senior leadership to address highly relevant or pressing issues within the current philanthropic market. Fellows report to the Executive Vice President of Research, Evaluation, and Strategic Planning and must commit to a three-month term located at Changing Our World’s headquarters or one of its regional offices. Applicants must be enrolled in an accredited graduate school and have at least 3 years of work experience. The fellowship award amount is $6,000.




To apply, please submit a resume, cover letter, and letter of recommendation to hr@changingourworld.com, along with a one-page description on how you plan to use your skills to address the fellowship topic for which you wish to apply. Please include the title of the fellowship in the subject line of your email.




Deadline: March 1, 2010.

Ashoka is looking for an Everyone A Changemaker video, can you help?

Imagine a country in which governments monopolize the opportunities to help make people’s lives better—to improve education or the environment or the lives of the elderly for example. That’s pretty much the situation in most countries today, despite the work of philanthropies and foundations. Now imagine a world in which there are many more “leaders.” Imagine a world in which 50, 60 or 70% of us were working on social problems and turning them into opportunities. We can describe that world on paper, but what would it look like on film?




Ashoka, GOOD, and GeniusRocket are partnering to develop a film which visualizes OR captures the sentiment of an Everyone A Changemaker™ world. We want to invite people to share and participate in this emerging world; indeed, it is only through the mass participation of people in all parts of the world and from all walks of life that such a world can emerge.




We envision a world where everyone has the self-permission to create positive change in their community, and where our collective intelligence and initiative will allow solutions to outrun the challenges we face.




We know this vision is not always easy to communicate, and are excited by the potential of film to help people understand and see the role they could play in such a world.




We are looking to you, our community of supporters, to create a video which makes this Everyone a Changemaker™ world accessible.




The Challenge: Create a film which leads up to and closes with the question: “How is the world different because you are here?”




The winning filmmaker will be paid $3,000 for their work and be featured across all Ashoka's digital platforms as well as at events and through our partners.




Check out all the details at the GeniusRocket site.

Congratulations to our Washington DC Dream It. Do It. Challenge Teams!

This past weekend we celebrated and honored the successful launch of 12 new Venture Teams through the Dream It. Do It. Challenge here in DC. The Dream It. Do It. Challenge is a transformative 13 week journey that challenges youth to be changemakers in their community. Through intensive workshops, these amazing and powerful leaders came together to develop Ventures that fill voids they saw in society. The process was concluded with each team presenting their ideas to a panel of community judges, where they were given the chance to fully explain their role in an “Everyone a changemaker” world. Congratulations to our teams! You all have been an inspiration to everyone involved in this incredible process. We look forward to seeing all the great things you are doing in the world!

So, please welcome the newest additions to the Youth Venture family:

• Alesha founded Writer’s Epiphany in order to provide opportunities to writers to have their voices heard. Writer’s Epiphany is a writer’s guild where writers come together from across the community and across socioeconomic lines to write their pieces and have them published.
• Begine founded Dance for the Soul, Play for the Fun to keep youth off the streets and to create an enjoyable, safe environment for kids in her neighborhood. Dance for the Soul, Play for the Fun allows youth to come together and learn to dance.
• Brianna and Dontazia started Cut 2 the Chase to help homeless people by providing them with meals. Cut 2 the Chase raises money for food supplies through fundraisers and charging people a reduced cost to style their hair while also seeking food donations.
• Gabrielle started Poetic Youth as a poetry club for children in her Washington, DC community. Poetic Youth teaches young people about poetry and helps them express their emotions and problems through their writing instead of through destructive behavior.
• Herman founded Help the Homeless as a way to raise money for the homeless population of Washington, DC. The organization sells candy in addition to holding various other fundraisers in order to raise money to donate to homeless shelters.
• Jamie founded Scooby Hunt as a series of fun activities for sick youth to participate in. The group brings together healthy youth and sick children for a scavenger hunt where the youth follow Scooby Doo footprints and find clues that lead them to different exciting locations. Scooby Hunt brings together sick youth in hospitals who feel marginalized due to their illness and helps them forge lasting friendships with youth their age.
• Muriel founded HOPE as a career resource center for homeless adults living in Washington, DC. The center focuses on helping homeless people create resumes and learn valuable tips for job hunting and interviewing.
• Paola started Pasion en la Cosina as a cooking club to give teenagers something constructive and positive to do with their time. The group meets to prepare meals and then enjoy the food they made together while holding conversations about the challenges of growing up.
• Roosevelt founded Save the Planet to teach others about recycling and implement a recycling program in schools across Washington, DC. Save the Planet is determined to have recycling bins available to students in all elementary, middle, and high schools around Washington, DC and to have recycling be an option for students as most schools do not currently have a recycling program.
• Sadaa intends to use her Venture to work closely with a small group of homeless people within her community. The first step is to provide them with a hot meal. During mealtimes Sadaa hopes to spread awareness about job opportunities in the region and give the homeless the individualized help they need to secure these opportunities; whether this means a haircut, or money for transportation.
• Shadae created The Fierce Nubian Queens as a modeling club designed to improve self-confidence among young girls. Girls meet to learn the finer techniques of modeling and fashion from experienced mentors and each year the club holds a fashion show to showcase their up-and-coming talent.
• Wasima founded New Generation Daycare Center to be a loving, caring childcare center for low-income families. Wasima’s vision is to provide quality childcare options for families at a reduced cost.

Man Up's Young Leaders Summit

On the occasion of one of the largest gatherings in the world, World Cup 2010 in South Africa, Man Up will host a three-day global youth summit with the goals of supporting organizations tackling VAW, building a network of young advocates and defenders, and linking the efforts of community based and mainstream organizations, and the corporate, entertainment and sports communities.






The Man Up Young Leaders Summit will bring together a diverse group of 200 young men and women aged approximately eighteen to thirty years representing 32 World Cup competing nations and 19 at-risk countries, who are committed to eradicating VAW within their communities. Summit participants will be given the tools they need-and want-to plan and execute proposed initiatives, including seed grants with the support of a worldwide network of NGO partners. A multi-functional website will facilitate communication, on-going training and global advocacy.






The Summit is action-oriented. The purpose is to help participants make their ideas into real projects. Workshops are focused on skill building and provide the participants with the tools necessary to execute their projects and be advocates against VAW. The Summit will introduce various training and teaching techniques, particularly those that address and utilize relevant cultural influences and forces, namely hip-hop, music, art and sports.






Human rights leaders and practitioners from around the world will join the Summit to mentor and train young leaders on how to build a movement to end violence against women in each delegate's home country.









Apply Now.





Applicants must be:




1. Between the ages of 18-30



2. From one of the 50 Man Up countries



3. Be part of a team of 2-4 persons



4. Be able to identify a qualified partner organization to facilitate post-summit plans





Applicants will be selected based on the following criteria:




1. Understanding of the issue of violence against women and ability to articulate issue within local context;



2. Demonstrated commitment to issues of social justice, in particular violence against women, although not required;



3. Understanding of personal capacity building needs;



4. Knowledge of local organizations working to: stop violence against women; build community; and engage youth through sport and music;



5. Conversant in English.


6. Application Deadline: January 22, 2010 has now been extended to Feb 5th 2010

COMPETITION: What’s Your Issue? Video Contest

The What’s Your Issue? – Film Your Issue initiative and competition invites youth ages 14 to 24 to submit a 3-minute video, presenting an issue they care about and a proposed solution.







The eight issues are:

• Education
• Environment
• Economic Recession
• Health and Healthcare
• Pathway from Poverty
• National Security and Defense
• Public Service
• Human and Equal Rights
• Technology

Winning solution-projects will be presented to senior officials in the Obama administration, broadcast on screens in every Best Buy store on the planet, presented at a VIP reception in Washington, DC. Winners will be selected by both a VIP Jury and public online via partner YouTube. Winners will be flown to Los Angeles for the Awards ceremony co-hosted by Sony Pictures Studios. Prizes include an Apple MacBook and iPod Touches, and Sundance Film Festival 2011 Film School Pass.







The deadline for submissions is April 18, 2010.

Support YV Team APAID

Youth Venture team, APAID (www.apaid.org) has been selected as finalist out of 284 applicants from 45 countries by the Unreasonable Institute. APAID was chosen one of the most promising young social entrepreneurial ventures for having shown innovativeness, adaptability to best serve the target market, team cohesiveness and ability to scale globally.




All the 42 finalists will now compete for 25 spots at the Unreasonable Institute to follow a ten-week mentor intensive course and receive a seed grant that will enable us to bring the venture to the next level. Beginning from the 25th of January, the first 25 ventures to raise $6,500 on the online marketplace are the ones selected to attend the Unreasonable Institute. People from around the world can vote with their dollars on the most viable ventures.





There is one catch… in the first week people can donate a maximum of only USD 10,- , in the second week USD 50,-, in the third week USD 100,- etc. In this way ventures are stimulated to mobilize many supporters rather than relying on one rich uncle.






So what can you do to help APAID realize this amazing opportunity?




1. You can give a donation to APAID on the entry page (click on the link to see it).


2. You can share this information and the small movie with all your contacts (facebook, twitter, email).


3. You can convince at least 5 persons to donate and share this information as well.






Why would you help APAID?




APAID understands that there are plenty other great initiatives that deserve your money (e.g. initiatives helping Haiti after the earth quake) and therefore they won’t tell you not to give to anyone else. But here are three reasons why theybelieve you should consider supporting them:


1. If APAID gets to go to the 10 weeks Unreasonable Institute they will learn and share experiences with the world’s best social entrepreneurs. This will bring them the knowledge, insights and skills that will eventually allow APAID to reach its goal of enhancing the lives of 1 million people with disabilities who are still facing inequality and discrimination on a daily basis.


2. The Unreasonable Institute will give each finalist a seed grant that will allows APAID to bring the organization to the next level.


3. In the unexpected case that APAID is not in the first 25 to raise USD 6.500, you do not lose your money as it will only be deducted from your account if APAID is in the first 25.

StartUp Scramble™ DC University Challenge

The weekend of January 29-31, 2010, the StartUp Scramble™ DC University Challenge will bring over 60 entrepreneurial-minded undergraduate students from eight DC-area universities together in a weekend-long event to build and launch sustainable ventures that address social issues affecting their campus and local communities.




Ashoka’s Youth Venture and Young Impact have partnered to help aspiring student entrepreneurs deep-dive into an accelerated process of venture development over the course of an intense, two-day facilitated start-up experience. There is an already stellar (and growing) line-up of featured guests including executives, founders, and investors spanning the public and private sectors.




The event will take place at the offices of Touchstone Consulting Group, just one block off of Dupont Circle on N and 19th (map), and Touchstone consultants will pair with student teams to provide facilitation services throughout the weekend in preparation for Sunday evening's Final Pitch.




Space is limited and awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis.

• Register at http://startupscrambledc.eventbrite.com

Connect with StartUp Scramble™:

• Event updates are posted at www.startupscramble.com
• Facebook Event Page
• Follow us on Twitter @StartUpScramble

Please feel free to contact Stephanie Potter at spotter@youthventure.org with any questions!

Deadline Friday: Connecting Change Competition

DEADLINE January 22, 2010

Youth Venture wants to know how the internet and broadband technology helps you in your efforts to change the world.

The internet is a powerful tool that has enabled us to connect with individuals from all across the world at rapid speed. We use the internet to share photos, watch videos, fundraise, connect with others and learn about the world.




As the internet continues to grow in capacity and capability into all areas of our social, political, and economic lives, we must continue to facilitate educational opportunities to the demographic that consumes technology the most–youth. To this end, Youth Venture believes that our Venturers can best appreciate and learn the technological tools at their disposal through a competitive video contest that helps them think through the transformative power of broadband.




What are you waiting for? Grab your camera and shoot a 60 second video telling us how the internet helps you to change the world!




The Youth Venture Connecting Change Video Competition, supported by Verizon’s Voices of Broadband initiative, showcases young changemakers using technology and broadband to advance positive change.




To enter, applicants must submit a video that answers the question: How has broadband and information technology helped your ability to change the world?










Rules and Regulations:

All entrants are expected to fully abide by the rules and regulations of the Youth Venture Connecting Change video competition listed below. Youth Venture reserves the right to disqualify any entrant that violates the rules and regulations below.

• Video entries must less than 2 minutes. Additionally, every contestant will be asked to begin their video with a 10 second introduction of him/herself, including their name, age and where they are from (city, state).
• The Connecting Change video competition is open to all members of a Youth Venture team and/or current participants in YV programs who are U.S. residents.
• Video entries must be in English.
• Entrants under the age of 18 must have a parent or legal guardian sign a release form.
• Video entries must be appropriate for all ages and should not include any explicit references or offensive language.

Submit a Video:

• To submit a video, upload your video to YouTube and send an email to kmyers@youthventure.org with a link to your uploaded video
  
• Check out all the submitted videos on the Youth Venture Connecting Change YouTube Channel

Dates and Deadlines:

• Competition Opens for Submissions: November 19, 2009
• Competition Closes for Submissions: January 22, 2010
• 
  
• New Blackberry Storm 2 or Blackberry Tour.
• Scholarship (registration, travel and lodging) for the contestant and a team member or adult chaperone to attend the 2010 Youth Venture Summit.
• Prominent placement of video on Voices of Broadband, Youth Venture and other websites, which will include a description of the winning contestant as well as his or her Venture.
• Extension of remarks from a United States Congressional Member.

Judging:

The winner will be chosen by a panel of judges from Youth Venture and Verizon.







Judging Criteria:

• Reach through leveraging technologies (i.e., the more people reached the better)
• The originality or innovative-ness of the use of the internet & broadband
• Creativity and the originality of the entry.

A Venturer's Response to the Earthquake in Haiti

Estimates are stating that over 100,000 people have died from the disastrous earthquake in Haiti.This devastation seems unimaginable. You may be concerned about the people of Haiti and wondering what you can do to help. Search and rescue is being done now, but it is unrealistic for most of us to travel to Haiti on a search and rescue mission. However, we can take some simple steps to raise funding for the victims of that earthquake. This is not the time to send food and supplies. Money is needed now, for experts to buy the necessary supplies and to have them securely delivered to the people of Haiti.



Here are three simple ways you can help today:

• Donate from your personal savings. Visit IOCC or Save the Children.


• Text a donation. With your parents permission you can donate $10 to the Red Cross by texting the word" HAITI "to 90999. The cellphone company will add a $10 charge to the bill of the cellphone from which the text was sent.


• Hold a fundraiser at your school. You will be pleased to find that other youth are also interested in helping the victims of the Haitian earthquake. Local businesses may also be willing to donate.

For updates on how you can help the people of Haiti, please view the website of Always Ready Kids at www.alwaysreadykids.org.





Written by Youth Venture Ambassador--Konstantine Buhler, Always Ready Kids

Deadline Tomorrow for the @15 Community Impact Challenge

Only 1 Day Left to Apply

Applications Due Tomorrow at 5:00PM CST






Are you ready to take your Venture to the next level? Need funding to expand your impact?



Need help telling your story and building a network?




15 finalists will compete online for
5, $5,000 grants and 5, $1,500 grants
to change their communities!




Finalists will be equipped with digital camcorders
and provided coaching in grassroots marketing, social media,
and public relations .







Apply now for the @15 Community Impact Challenge with Ashoka's Youth Venture. Applicants must be residents of the United States and age 13-18 (at least 60 percent of team member must meet this requirement). All team members must be age 12-20.




To Submit Your Application:

• If your computer has Adobe, you will have the option to save your answers into an Adobe PDF. Simply go to file -> print -> select Adobe PDF as your printer. This will produce a document that you can save to your hard drive and e-mail to bestbuy15@youthventure.org.


• If your computer does not have Adobe PDF, you will not be able to save your answers. If this is the case, we suggest you print your answers and fax to 1-612-870-2630.


• Email bestbuy15@youthventure.org or call toll free 1-866-788-1628 if you have any trouble submitting your application.
  

Important Dates:

• Applications due January 15, 2010.


• Online voting takes place from March 15 to April 2, 2010.

Wishing You a Happy New Year

Happy New Year Everybody! I hope all my fellow Ambassadors and YV’s had a great holiday vacation and starting on their New Year Revolutions! I know all of us are going to try our best to change the world in 2010! I am just so thankful and appreciative of YV and all of the people involved! Just thinking of how many people we can help this year get’s me so excited! Kourtney, my 7yr. old friend, who I am trying to raise money for her transplant and awareness of organ donation, is someone who inspires me so much (even though she may not realize it because she is so young); to go for the gold and live life to the fullest, so I am going to apply that to everything I do this year! Kourtney just wants her multi-organ transplant which would be very scary for most of us, yet, her brave and positive attitude keeps her going while enduring unbearable pain each and every day! I want all my fellow YV’s and Ambassadors to follow their dreams this year as I hope that is one of their resolutions. Of course, we come from all walks of life from the U.S. and around the world, so even though we may be far apart, let’s use our advantage of having the same mindset and goals to continue to be young change-makers, and provide more opportunities for other youth around the world so that we can be the “change” to help fight so many issues that plague our communities like disease, poverty, illiteracy, child-trafficking, domestic violence, drugs and the list goes on! Remember … “you can do anything that you can dream!” All the best in 2010!!!




Written by Youth Venture Ambassador--Alana, Alana's Achievers

World Youth Congress, 2010

We as the young generation, dreaming a world with green fields, blue oceans, smiling faces, artistic thoughts and colorful cultures. We all dare to dream, because we know that we are powerful enough to make a difference; and we all dare to share our dreams, because sharing is a part of “imece”, and “imece” is the word that we’re going to learn at the World Youth Congress in Turkey and use it in our entire life.




In the European Capital of Culture, more than 1000 young brains from different countries will gather to share the things that are crucial for humankind: culture, ideas, thoughts, language, art, peace, friendship and much more...




In the biggest international youth event which will take between the dates 31st July and 13th August, young generation will decide, train, perform, discover, volunteer, present, represent in the featured campus of Yıldız Technical University.




We are waiting every young activist, journalist, educator, artist, observer, delegate between the ages 18-30, to share, to get involve into this biggest “imece” action in 2010 to show the power of our dreams to the world...




Apply Now. Deadline: January 31, 2010.

DDC Panel Photos

On Saturday, January 9, 2010 Youth Venture DC held panels for the participants of the Fall 2009 Dream It. Do It. Challenge. Below are the photos from the Panel Presentations.

Quantitative Analysis--An Auditor’s Friend

One of the Climate Action Club’s goals is to reduce our school’s energy use. We have done this in many ways over the past couple of years. But our most recent campaign is the coolest. We have installed a vending miser in a school vending machine. Now, you’re thinking: A vending what? A vending miser. It is a sensor that shuts off a vending machine when there is no movement around and therefore saves tons of energy for any building.




Vending misers are actually quite expensive--around $200. We couldn’t afford to buy one for our school. Then we heard about a company that would give us a vending miser if we could use statistics to show how much energy the device saved. We entered the competition and won our vending miser using quantitative analysis--a method that uses numbers to analyze a situation.



So how does “quantitative analysis” work? Let me explain the process. Our first step was to measure how much energy our vending machine used without the vending miser. We used a Kill-A-Watt Monitor. It measures the energy consumption (in Kilowatt Hours (KwH)) of any electrical device. We discovered that the vending machine uses 49.06 KwH in one week. We then installed the vending miser, and used the Kill-A-Watt monitor again. We found that the vending machine used only 31.65 KwH in one week with the miser, which means that there was a savings of 17.41 KwH per week. 1 Kilowatt costs about 10.6 cents1 in a school. So that means that if we saved 17.41 KwH, we could save $1.85 per week, or $96 per year! If we bought a vending miser in the future, we could pay it off in less than 2 years.



There are many ways in which you can use this approach to identify energy savings in your home or at your school. Say I placed two washing machines next to each other. I knew that one was Energy Star rated, but I didn’t know which one it was. How could I find out which one used less energy? The answer: by using quantitative analysis. I have explained the process, and now you can sniff out those energy hogs and save energy for our planet!




Written by Youth Venture Ambassador--Chloe, Climate Action Club

Why You Should Apply for the @15 Community Impact Challenge!

Last year Hats for the Homeless decided to challenge themselves to think big about their impact and applied for the @15 Challenge.







The team estimates that around 850 students and 100 adults participated in the project during the last year, giving out around 4,000 hats, scarves, and blankets. Due to the new sewing machines purchase through the Challenge funding, this is four times the amount produced
the previous year.








Are you ready to take your Venture to the next level? Need funding to expand your impact?
Need help telling your story and building a network?









Apply now for the @15 Community Impact Challenge with Ashoka’s Youth Venture.

Applicants must be residents of the United States and age 12-18 (at least 60 percent of team member must meet this requirement). All team members must be age 12-20.








Applications are due January 15, 2010.








Visit www.at15.com for an application and to learn more!





NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE CHANCES OF WINNING. OPEN TO LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE 50 U.S. (D.C.), 13 - 18 AS OF DECEMBER 15, 2009. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Enter Contest by: 1/15/10. To enter, visit www.at15.com and follow instructions to download the Grant Application. Grand Prize (5): A $5,000 Grant. For Official Rules and complete details, visit www.at15.com. Sponsor: Youth Venture, 1700 North Moore St., Suite 2000, Arlington, VA, 22209.

Sparkseed Competition

Calling all Social Innovators!




Do you have an idea for the next high impact social venture? Want expert advice, funding, and a network of support? Apply now to be one of Sparkseed's Social Innovators and win the resources you need to launch and grow your venture.





Why should I apply?


Sparkseed helps college students launch world-changing social ventures. We help by providing:

• Seed money - up to $11,000
• Web tools - web site, graphic design, phone lines, & more; worth $10,000
• Mentoring & consulting - from top professionals worth $20,000+
• Access to the Sparkseed network - including other student innovators, investors, and entrepreneurs.

How do I apply?

• Go to http://sparkseed.org/competition
• The 5 applicants with the most followers automatically advance to the next round of judging, so start now to increase your chances to win!
• Deadline to apply: February 7, 2010

What is Sparkseed?

Sparkseed (www.sparkseed.org) is a nonprofit organization that supports the next generation of social entrepreneurs. We harness the passion, innovation, and talent of college students in order to increase the impact of their social ventures. Over the past two years, Sparkseed has provided mentoring, seed money, pro-bono consulting, and web tools to over 50 social innovators across the country.




What now?

• Apply to Sparkseed’s social innovation competition!
• Stay up to date by following Sparkseed on Twitter and Facebook
• Learn more about Sparkseed at sparkseed.org and the Sparkseed Blog

Pepsi Refresh Project

Pepsi is giving away millions in grants each month to fund great ideas. Pepsi is looking for people, businesses, and non-profits with ideas that will have a positive impact. Look around your community and think about how you want to change it. Check out the Toolkit explaining the process in more detail and for help developing your idea.

• Throughout 2010, millions of dollars will be awarded in $5,000 (10/month), $25,000 (10/month), $50,000 (10/month) and $250,000 (2/month) grants on a monthly basis.
• Submitted projects should fall into one of six categories: Arts & Culture, The Planet, Education, Food & Shelter, Neighborhoods, and Health.
• Projects ideas need to be US-based and benefit projects within the US.
• The Project must be implemented within 12 months.
• The Project must have a social/public benefit.
• Voting for the January round of the Refresh Project begins on February 1st. Voting starts on the 1st of each subsequent month and continues throughout the last day of every month
• Starting January 13th, applications can be submitted to the www.refresheverything.com website. The first 1000 will go into the voting period, get your application in early!
• After the January 13th launch, subsequent submissions will be accepted starting on the 1st of each month throughout 2010.

Deadline Extended: Connecting Change Competition

DEADLINE EXTENDED to January 22, 2010

Youth Venture wants to know how the internet and broadband technology helps you in your efforts to change the world.

The internet is a powerful tool that has enabled us to connect with individuals from all across the world at rapid speed. We use the internet to share photos, watch videos, fundraise, connect with others and learn about the world.




As the internet continues to grow in capacity and capability into all areas of our social, political, and economic lives, we must continue to facilitate educational opportunities to the demographic that consumes technology the most–youth. To this end, Youth Venture believes that our Venturers can best appreciate and learn the technological tools at their disposal through a competitive video contest that helps them think through the transformative power of broadband.




What are you waiting for? Grab your camera and shoot a 60 second video telling us how the internet helps you to change the world!




The Youth Venture Connecting Change Video Competition, supported by Verizon’s Voices of Broadband initiative, showcases young changemakers using technology and broadband to advance positive change.




To enter, applicants must submit a video that answers the question: How has broadband and information technology helped your ability to change the world?







Rules and Regulations:

All entrants are expected to fully abide by the rules and regulations of the Youth Venture Connecting Change video competition listed below. Youth Venture reserves the right to disqualify any entrant that violates the rules and regulations below.

• Video entries must less than 2 minutes. Additionally, every contestant will be asked to begin their video with a 10 second introduction of him/herself, including their name, age and where they are from (city, state).
• The Connecting Change video competition is open to all members of a Youth Venture team and/or current participants in YV programs who are U.S. residents.
• Video entries must be in English.
• Entrants under the age of 18 must have a parent or legal guardian sign a release form.
• Video entries must be appropriate for all ages and should not include any explicit references or offensive language.

Submit a Video:

• To submit a video, upload your video to YouTube and send an email to kmyers@youthventure.org with a link to your uploaded video
  
• Check out all the submitted videos on the Youth Venture Connecting Change YouTube Channel

Dates and Deadlines:

• Competition Opens for Submissions: November 19, 2009
• Competition Closes for Submissions: January 22, 2010
• 
  
• New Blackberry Storm 2 or Blackberry Tour.
• Scholarship (registration, travel and lodging) for the contestant and a team member or adult chaperone to attend the 2010 Youth Venture Summit.
• Prominent placement of video on Voices of Broadband, Youth Venture and other websites, which will include a description of the winning contestant as well as his or her Venture.
• Extension of remarks from a United States Congressional Member.

Judging:

The winner will be chosen by a panel of judges from Youth Venture and Verizon.







Judging Criteria:

• Reach through leveraging technologies (i.e., the more people reached the better)
• The originality or innovative-ness of the use of the internet & broadband
• Creativity and the originality of the entry.

YV Video Featured on Starbucks.com: When You Break, You're United

Check out Youth Venture's latest video, filmed by GOOD magazine. In the video, meet b-boy Alex Lek and his crew. They're break-dancing to raise money and awareness for the invisible children of Uganda





With support from Starbucks and Youth Venture, Alex is using his passion, interest and skills to help displaced children in the East African nation. Starbucks Shared Planet Youth Action Grants fund nonprofit organizations that support young people in creating change in their community.




The video can be seen today on Starbucks website , Facebook fan page and YouTube Channel, so check it out!

Why You Should Apply for the @15 Community Impact Challenge!

Last year JJ Express was struggling to find funding sources for their ambitious plans and decided to apply for the @15 Challenge.

Since winning the Challenge, JJ Express secured a partnership and office space with the Metropolitan Center for the Visual Arts. The team recruited an intern and new volunteers in addition to teaching art classes. The team has printed new magazines and improved their website: http://www.jjexpressmagazine.org




Are you ready to take your Venture to the next level? Need funding to expand your impact? Need help telling your story and building a network?




Apply now for the @15 Community Impact Challenge with Ashoka’s Youth Venture. Applicants must be residents of the United States and age 12-18 (at least 60 percent of team member must meet this requirement). All team members must be age 12-20.




Applications are due January 15, 2010.




Visit www.at15.com for an application and to learn more!




NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE CHANCES OF WINNING. OPEN TO LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE 50 U.S. (D.C.), 13 - 18 AS OF DECEMBER 15, 2009. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Enter Contest by: 1/15/10. To enter, visit www.at15.com and follow instructions to download the Grant Application. Grand Prize (5): A $5,000 Grant. For Official Rules and complete details, visit www.at15.com. Sponsor: Youth Venture, 1700 North Moore St., Suite 2000, Arlington, VA, 22209.