Time for Change Youth Challenge – United States

Deadline: 17 October 2023

How would you solve the challenge you see every day as a young person? Identify a problem you care about, develop your idea, and step into your power. You have the answers!

Bring the Time for Change Youth Challenge into your classroom and support young people as they generate new ideas that can make a big impact in their worlds.

The Time for Change Youth Challenge is a collaboration of First Book and Ashoka designed to spark transformative changemaking journeys in young people as part of our Time for Change initiative. The work is made possible by Audemars Piguet.

Prize Information

Early Entry Prizes:
- 10 students who apply by the Early Entry Deadline of Tuesday, October 17th will win a $100 gift card. Students who apply by the Early Entry deadline are still eligible for the grants awarded after the Final Deadline of Thursday, January 18th.
Grand Prizes:
- The Time for Change Youth Challenge will award prizes in the following categories; Kindergarten through 5th grade, 6th through 7th grade, 8th through 12th grade. The prizes are listed below, and one prize from each prize tier are guaranteed to be awarded within each of these grade categories.
  - $50 grants – 150 students will receive a $50 gift card to work on their projects.
  - $100 grants – 50 students will receive a $100 gift card to support their ideas for change.
  - $1,000 grants – 15 students will be awarded $1,000 grants to spark their changemaking journey.

Eligibility Criteria

Participants must meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Participant Grade Level
  - Individuals and teams of youth grade K-12 are eligible to apply.
- Residency
  - Currently residing in the United States or one of its territories (American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands).
- Youth Leadership
  - The applicant must submit a youth-led idea.
  - Each applicant can only apply with one initiative.
  - Applicants in Grades K-7 must apply through the account of an educator or other adult ally. An account can be used for multiple applications. Each student can only be listed on one application but can be a part of multiple teams.
  - Applicants in Grades 8-12 are welcome to create their own account and submit their initiative directly.
- Language
  - Applications must be submitted in English.
- Affiliation
  - Applicants must be an enrolled student at a Title I eligible, Tribal, or Military Base school.
  - Employees (and their children and grandchildren) of Ashoka, First Book, and Audemars Piguet or any of their respective affiliates and participating advertising and promotion agencies are NOT eligible to apply to the Challenge.