Bellevue, Wash. – February 15, 2022 – Today T-Mobile, the T-Mobile Foundation, and Ashoka kicked off the fourth Changemaker Challenge, a nationwide contest that gives young leaders the opportunity to level up their ideas for creating a more inclusive, equitable and sustainable future.
Now through March 31, 2022, teens ages 13 to 18 located in the U.S. and Puerto Rico with bold ideas for driving digital empowerment, putting equity into action and mobilizing for a thriving planet can enter the Changemaker Challenge online. Fifteen winners will be selected for the chance to win up to $15,000 in seed funding for their projects, as well as an all-expenses-paid trip to T-Mobile headquarters in Bellevue, Wash., to participate in the three-day Changemaker Lab later this year. Including this fourth-year commitment, T-Mobile and the T-Mobile Foundation have invested nearly $2.5 million in the Changemaker Challenge since 2018.
Looking for fully-funded opportunities, install the Youth Opportunities Android or iOS App here.
T-Mobile and the T-Mobile Foundation are once again partnering with Ashoka, an organization with more than 40 years of experience supporting social entrepreneurs and young changemakers as they bring new ideas to systemically address the world’s biggest challenges and build a world where we all realize our power to create change.
Nearly 300 applicants entered the 2021 Changemaker Challenge. Sixteen winning teams presented their projects during the Changemaker Lab and T-Mobile awarded not one but FOUR grand prize winners. All teams received coaching from T-Mobile employee mentors and Ashoka experts to help bring their ideas to life, including innovative projects from apps to smart hardware solutions that tackle global challenges around mental health, household waste, lead poisoning prevention and more.
This year, they are looking for bold ideas in the following areas:
- Digital Empowerment – Solutions that help bridge the digital divide, enabling access for all to the digital age and the skills needed to thrive in it.
- Thriving Planet – Ideas to help improve the health of our planet.
- Equity In Action – Ideas and solutions that remove barriers and create opportunities for everyone to thrive in an inclusive society.
Benefits
After the application closes on March 31st 2022, ideas will be reviewed by representatives from the T-Mobile Foundation, T-Mobile, Ashoka and the Changemaker peer community based on eligibility criteria listed below. Contest results will be structured as follows:
- Early Entry Prize: T-Mobile and Ashoka will select three winning teams from those that apply by March 10th, 2022, for a cash prize of $1,000. Additionally, all entries submitted by the early entry deadline will receive feedback on how to improve their application.
- In May, T-Mobile and Ashoka will announce the Top 15 teams – 5 from each of the three categories (Digital Empowerment, Thriving Planet and Equity In Action). Each team will receive $5,000 seed funding and an all-expenses-paid trip to T-Mobile’s Bellevue, Washington, headquarters in July 2022 (subject to change) for the Changemaker Lab, a three-day immersive experience in which teams will receive mentorship from T-Mobile executives, skills training from Ashoka and networking opportunities with other amazing teams.
- From the Top 15 teams, the best in each of the three categories will receive an additional $5,000 seed funding (for a total of $10,000) and the opportunity to pitch their project to senior leadership team members of T-Mobile and the T-Mobile Foundation.
- From the 3 Category Finalist teams, one selected grand prize winner will receive an additional $5,000 in seed funding (for a total of $15,000) and a one-on-one meeting with an influential leader.
- From the T-Mobile Family Changemaker Challenge applicants, one winning team will be selected. They will also be invited to the Changemaker Lab at T-Mobile headquarters and receive $5,000 seed funding.
Eligibilities
- Participants must be at least 13 when applying and not older than 18 by the end of entry period United States or Puerto Rico residents.
- Two participants of eligible ages (plus ONE chaperone required if any participant is under 18) per winning team will travel for the Changemaker Lab.
- One application per initiative and per person will be accepted.
- Previous winners from the Changemaker Challenge are not eligible. If you applied last year and were not one of the winning teams, you can re-apply.
- Applications must be submitted in English.
- Employees of T-MOBILE USA, INC. or T-Mobile Puerto Rico, LLC, their parent companies, affiliates and subsidiaries, joint ventures, participating advertising and promotion agencies are only eligible to compete in the specific challenge in place for those individuals with formal ties to T-Mobile. One can apply for this challenge by selecting the option marked “Yes” for the question “Are you employed by T-Mobile or related to an employee of T-Mobile?” when completing the application. The eligible relationships to the T-Mobile employee are Parent/Guardian or Sibling.
Application Process
The selection committee will be looking for Changemakers who provide strong answers to a range of questions about what your initiative does, how it runs, and your changemaking story. Remember, they are looking for innovative and creative ideas at all stages of development, which means it can be a young idea or a fully baked one! Entries will be evaluated on the following criteria:
- Changemaker Quality: You are a Changemaker! You’ve taken action to make a real difference and are helping others to find their power too.
- Creativity: Whether you’re tackling a new challenge or bringing a different perspective to an existing problem, you’re doing it in a fresh, innovative way that shakes things up and doesn’t stick with the norm.
- Commitment: You’re ready to stick by your project and leave a lasting impact. You may have taken some of the first steps or could just have identified a problem and made a plan, but you are ready to go beyond a one-time activity to make a difference for the future.
- Connection: You are focused on making a difference in a community that is close to you and your experiences. You are open to connecting with others and working together to solve the problem you care about.
Apply online through the Apply Now link.
Looking for fully-funded opportunities, install the Youth Opportunities Android or iOS App here.
Application Deadline: April 1, 2022
Application ClosedOfficial link
