Our Children are our Changemakers

I can’t believe it’s already that time of year again for kiddos to enter into the Changermaker Challenge from T-Mobile Foundation and Ashoka. Those of you who have kids ages 13-18 should pay attention!

This challenge is just such an amazing opportunity for children, they really are our future (sing the song with me, you know you want to), and it truly is awesome that it’s the fifth year they are doing this challenge. 

The T-Mobile Foundation and Ashoka created this challenge to engage kids to think outside the box. I’m not talking about just around technology, but also with categories like Equity In Action and a Thriving Planet too.

Keep reading to learn how your child can enter. This is a contest where your child can win up to $15,000 for their impactful ideas!

I seriously love that y'all have watched my kids grow up over the years. For those keeping track of the kiddos still at home…We have Fallon who is 10. Her most recent creative outlet is building Lego sets. I think I have created a monster as she has become obsessed with them and wants to collect any and all Lego sets (oops). And there is Canon who is 14. He is just getting into chess and loves going online to play others and learn new moves. 

I adore that they both show their creativeness all the time. I got them VR sets for Christmas and they were saying how they wish they could do this or that. Man I wish I wrote their ideas down, they were gold. I mean, true innovativeness. And they’re not alone. Since the first Changemaker Challenge in 2018, over 1,500 applications have been submitted with projects focusing on everything from therapy kits and digital apps to support children on the autism spectrum to repurposing tobacco to create biodegradable food packaging.  I can only imagine what my bright stars would do in the Changemaker Challenge.

Here are the details for your kids:

• Through May 18, teens ages 13 to 18 located in the U.S. and Puerto Rico can enter the Changemaker Challenge via the contest website.  

• In July, the 15 finalists will be selected to receive $5,000 each in seed funding—five from each of the three categories: Digital Empowerment, Equity In Action and Thriving Planet. The finalists will also receive an all-expenses paid trip to T-Mobile's headquarters in Bellevue, Wash., later in 2023 for the Changemaker Lab. There, the finalists will receive mentorship and guidance from T-Mobile employees, skills training from Ashoka, and other networking opportunities.  

• Three finalists, one from each of the categories, will receive an additional $5,000 seed funding (for a total of $10,000 per team), and the opportunity to pitch their projects to T-Mobile senior leaders and the T-Mobile Foundation. 

• At the Changemaker Lab, the Grand Prize Winner will be selected and will receive an additional $5,000 in funding (for a total of $15,000), plus additional hands-on support and counsel from their mentors to supercharge their project!  

If your child is between the ages of 13 and 18, encourage them to enter their ideas. You never know what that winning idea may be! The chief communications and corporate responsibility officer for T-Mobile said “Through Changemaker Challenge our goal is to elevate these bright young minds and help turn their ideas and dreams into real solutions that have a positive impact for years to come.” 

So let’s make that come true for one of your kids. When they apply, they have a chance to receive seed funding to support their bold ideas and an all-expenses paid trip to T-Mobile headquarters in Bellevue, Washington., to participate in the Changemaker Lab experience later this year. How cool is that?

I’ve been working with T-Mobile for a few years now, and it never ceases to amaze me on how much they love to give back to the communities that make them who they are. You can really see the dedication to help in companies like this. You can see it in the companies they partner with like Ashoka as well. They came together to offer such a great opportunity for kids and I hope they continue it for years to come. 

I’m pretty sure my grandson Enzo is a next generation innovator with his sweet building skills, don't you think?!

Because of my partnership with T-Mobile, out of fairness, my kids will not be applying this year.

 

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