Technology 4 a Better World

The entry period is now closed in the Technology for a Better World campaign. Our esteemed panel of judges is reviewing the submissions to select the five grand prize winners.

Check back on May 25th to meet the five grand prize winning youth that will travel to be recognized in Washington D.C. at the Jefferson Awards and spend a day at Youth Venture’s headquarters further developing their ventures.

Judging Panel

Christine Webster Moore
Vice President, Strategy and Networking New Business Customer Solutions Group, Best Buy

Lisa H. Neuberger-Fernandez
Director of Corporate Citizenship Programs, Accenture

Jane Kim
Senior Manager, SuccessFactors Foundation

Mike McKay
Software Programmer for International Development, RTI International

Phil Shapiro
Educator and Technology Access Activist

Alexander Lin
Youth Venturer, Project TGIF – Turn Grease Into Fuel

For full bios and more information, click here.

We invite youth ages 14 to 24 to submit a 3-minute video, presenting an issue they care about and a proposed solution.

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 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. Winners will be selected by both a VIP Jury and public online via partner YouTube.

Details of the competition are on the What’s Your Issue- Film Your Issue Website – http://www.whatsyourissue.tv

Interested youth can apply to be part of the IYCN’s Agents of Change program.

The IYCN Agents of Change program takes the IYCN movement from the grass roots to the international arena. We are proud to be partnering with a reputed organization such as the Centre for Environment Education on this project along with the UNEP’s South Asian Youth Environmental Network. This year, we plan to storm COP15, as an Asian Youth Sub-Continent Delegation with representatives from India, Srilanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan & Burma. We want youth from our neighbouring countries, from rural and urban India to be represented at this crucial global forum, where our climate future is decided.

The Agents of Change Program will include both young students and professionals, involved in massive lobbying , campaigning and direct action, at regional and national levels, to influence the political decisions and negotiations leading up to Copenhagen. Delegates will also be required to attend the Indian Youth Summit on Climate Change in July, 2009.

APPLY NOW

Click to download Opportunity Fund brochure.

The Opportunities Fund for Urban Youth-Led Development, a grant worth $1 million in funding per year, will award up to US $25,000 to groups led by young people, aged 15-24 years. The Fund supports inspiring youth-led initiatives worldwide and engages the partnership and leadership of young men and women in working towards sustainable urbanization.

Through this new fund, we are recognizing the urgent need to bolster youth-led initiatives, and are at the forefront of a growing movement to place youth at the centre of sustainable development strategies.

Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, UN Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of UN-HABITAT

Go to http://www.unhabitat.org/opfund to download the Opportunity Fund application or forward it to an eligible youth-led group.

A program of the International Youth Foundation, YouthActionNet® seeks to develop a new generation of socially conscious global citizens who create positive change in their communities, their countries, and the world.

Each year, 20 exceptional young social entrepreneurs are selected as YouthActionNet® Global Fellows following a competitive application process. Supported by Nokia, the yearlong Global Fellowship includes:

Skill-building:
• A seven-day leadership retreat for twenty selected Fellows which offers dynamic peer-to-peer learning, collaboration, and sharing among young visionaries
• Focus on the personal growth and leadership abilities of Fellows, in addition to providing instruction in specific skills required to manage innovative, world-changing organizations
• Year-round learning opportunities based on Fellows’ individual needs and the six dimensions of leadership highlighted in the YouthActionNet® Global Curriculum: Personal, Visionary, Political, Collaborative, Organizational, and Societal.

Networking and Resources:
• Networking with international and national aid agencies, NGOs, and corporate partners
• Access to potential resources to support Fellows and their projects, including volunteers, mentors, and grant opportunities
• Peer-to-peer networking throughout the year

Advocacy:
• Training in areas such as communications planning, media outreach, message development, presentation skills, and innovative uses of new media technologies
• Access to global advocacy platforms and media coverage

Eligibility
• Open to all young people, ages 18-29 as of November 1st, 2009
• Applicants must be the founder/co-founder of an existing organization, or a project within an organization, with a demonstrated one year track record of leading societal change
• Proficiency in English is required; applications must be submitted in English
• Applicants must attend the full retreat, November 1-8, 2009 (all expenses paid)

To Apply
Completed applications are due by April 15th, 2009.

Visit YouthActionNet

Tapping Youth Innovation seeks to support youth-led solutions that help improve access to water and sanitation services for the billions of people living in poverty.

Got an idea, product or technology that may work?  Tell us about it in this (very brief) entry form.

The 10 best entries will receive seed grants and support from Ashoka GenV and WaterAid to scale and spread your innovation.

Enter by World Water Day – March 22, 2009!

Learn more.

Why water matters!

Help us spread the word!  Let all youth who care about this issue know about this opportunity.

Watch this fascinating slideshow on humanity’s water use and the emerging water shortage and you will understand why we should all care.

The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes honors outstanding young leaders who have made a significant positive difference to people and our planet. Their leadership and courage make them true heroes and inspirations to us all.

Each year, the Barron Prize selects ten winners nationwide. Half of the winners have focused on helping their communities and fellow beings; half have focused on protecting the health and sustainability of the environment.

These young people reflect the great diversity of America. They are female and male, urban and rural, and from many backgrounds. Examples are Michaella, who organized a rodeo for disabled kids; Carter, who led the effort to conserve a local river; Ashley, who created a scholarship fund for African girls; Kyle, who organized a reading mentorship program; Joying, who cleaned up South Carolina’s beaches; Ryan, who helped provide clean drinking water to more than 70 African villages; and Barbara, who created a successful oil recycling project in Texas.

Nominate someone (in the U.S.) by April 30, 2009.

Link: Website

We’re the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA); we fund emerging student entrepreneurs and faculty and provide workshops, investments and other resources to help students advance their ventures. More than 40 technology companies have emerged from teams we’ve funded, and many more start-ups and ventures have benefited from our training and advice.

Opportunities with the NCIIA:

E-Team grants:
• We award up to $15,000 to more than 20 E-Teams each year, to move student-driven technologies from idea to market.
• Read more about one of our successful grantees, Ecovative Design.
• The deadline for the next E-Team grants round is May 8, 2009.
• Read our guidelines and apply.

Invention to Venture workshops
• Do you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur?
• I2V is one-day workshop on the basics of technology entrepreneurship, with presentations by successful entrepreneurs in your area.
• Fast-paced and fun

Advanced I2V workshops
• If you’re serious about moving your venture forward, AI2V is for you.
• You’ll spend four intense days receiving instruction, doing exercises, practicing pitching and interacting with qualified coaches to develop and articulate a strategic plan for your venture.
• Check the schedule for dates of workshops.

We’re always happy to talk about these opportunities. Call us at 413-587-2172, or send a note to info@nciia.org.

To browse other Ashoka GenV partners, check out our interactive map of the Invention Sector.

The University of Texas and Dell are looking for college students worldwide with ingenious ideas to change the world.

Dream up a plan that combines creativity and innovation to tackle a pressing social issue, and you can win $50,000 to put your plan into action!

Students from all over the world are invited to create change at home, or anywhere in the world, with a social innovation designed to tackle a social problem and help every human reach their fullest potential. There is no limit to the imagination and any significant social issue can be addressed in this competition.

Link: Website

The United Nation Environment Programme in cooperation with UNEP National Committee for the Republic of Korea will be hosting the 2009 TUNZA International Children’s Conference on the Environment in Daejeon, Korea from the 17 to 21 August 2009. The Conference whose theme will be Climate Change: Our Challenge will collectively bring together about 400 participants (aged 10 to 14) from over 100 countries.

The daily themes will include:

• Climate change and its effect on bio-diversity
• Climate change and young people
• Water
• Sustainable lifestyle

The delegates will be introduced to the new Tunza Strategy (2009-2014), and will discuss their role in the implementation of the Strategy. The delegates will also give suggestions on the themes for the 2010 International Children’s Conference on the Environment. The four-day Conference will culminate in resolutions on climate change to be presented to the Children’s Climate Forum in Copenhagen, Denmark in December 2009.

Please complete the Application Form and return before 31 JANUARY 2009.
More information, please visit this link: http://www.unep.org/tunza/children/inner.asp?ct=events&ev=int_children_conf