Third Changemaker Challenge Launches Today; T-Mobile and the T-Mobile Foundation to Fund Big Ideas from Young Trailblazers
February 11 2021 - 9:05AM
Business Wire
Nationwide Contest Offers Youth with Innovative
Ideas Around Creating Connected, Sustainable and Informed
Communities Opportunity to Receive Seed Funding and Mentorship
What’s the news: T-Mobile, the T-Mobile Foundation and
Ashoka are launching the third Changemaker Challenge. Today through
April 8, youth ages 13 to 18 can apply for the opportunity to
receive seed funding and one of 15 spots at the Changemaker Lab at
T-Mobile HQ later this year to support their innovative ideas
focused on Technology, the Environment or Education. Over the
program’s three years, T-Mobile and the T-Mobile Foundation will
have invested nearly $1M in Changemaker Challenge projects and
mentorship opportunities.
Why it matters: We want to help focus all the talk about
urgent societal and global challenges on finding solutions -- and
we know America’s youth are up to the challenge to put fresh
thinking behind big problems and come up with big ideas that will
drive change! With a little help in the form of funding and
mentorship, innovative ideas can become extraordinary movements.
Now is an amazing time to be a young changemaker!
Who it’s for: Disruptors, trailblazers and entrepreneurs
between the ages of 13 to 18 located in the U.S. and Puerto Rico
who have bold ideas about how to change their communities and
society for good…and the parents, mentors and educators who support
them every step of the way!
The third Changemaker
Challenge, a nationwide contest that gives trailblazing
young leaders the opportunity to take their ideas on how to build
more connected, sustainable and informed communities to the next
level, launched today by T-Mobile, the T-Mobile Foundation and
Ashoka. Now through April 8, 2021, youth ages 13 to 18 with bold
ideas focused on Technology, the Environment or Education can enter
the challenge. T-Mobile leaders will select 15 winners to receive
up to $15,000 in seed funding and the opportunity to participate in
the three-day Changemaker Lab later this year. Including this third
year of support, T-Mobile and the T-Mobile Foundation have invested
nearly $1M in seed funding and mentorship for the changemakers.
“T-Mobile knows a thing or two about disruption and affecting
change – and that’s why we can’t wait to once again help these
forward-thinking youth grow their innovative, amazing ideas through
our third Changemaker Challenge,” said T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert.
“We can all take inspiration from today’s youth. They are living
and breathing so many of the challenges our society is facing right
this moment, but they’ve got big ideas for how we can be better.
With a little support, I know these young, passionate changemakers
will do amazing things to positively impact their communities for
years to come.”
Here’s how it works:
- Through April 8, youth can enter the Challenge at the
Changemaker Challenge contest website.
- Teams who enter prior to March 4 have the chance to receive one
$2,000 early deadline seed money award. All entries submitted by
March 4 will get feedback on how to improve their application so
they can resubmit by the final April 8 deadline.
- In May, the top 15 teams – five from each of the three
categories (Technology, the Environment and Education) – will be
named and each team will receive $5,000 in seed funding. They will
also get an all-expenses-paid trip to T-Mobile’s headquarters later
in 2021 for the Changemaker Lab (pending CDC COVID-19 safety
recommendations) that will give teams three days of immersive
experiences, including mentorship from T-Mobile executives, skills
training from Ashoka and networking opportunities with other
teams.
- From the top 15 teams, the best in each category – three teams
– will receive an additional $5,000 in seed funding and the chance
to pitch their projects to T-Mobile senior leaders.
- One will be selected as the Grand Prize Winner and will receive
another $5,000, plus a 1:1 meeting with a T-Mobile leader for
additional guidance on how they can grow their venture. The winning
team will receive a total of $15,000 in seed money!
T-Mobile and the T-Mobile Foundation are once again partnering
with Ashoka, a global organization that believes in a world where
everyone is a changemaker. They have over 40 years building the
field of social entrepreneurs and over 20 years of experience
supporting young changemakers and their social ventures.
“At Ashoka, we know young people need powerful learning
experiences to build empathy, find their purpose, and take the
lead,” said Bill Drayton, founder and CEO of Ashoka. “Ashoka is
proud to support T-Mobile’s Changemaker Challenge, pairing leaders
in the tech industry with leading youth changemakers—a winning
combination to changing the world for good.”
An amazing 770 teams entered the two previous Changemaker
Challenges in 2018 and 2019. Projects integrating everything from
apps to robots have been focused on solutions around topics such as
mental health, the collapse of bee colonies, flood warning systems
and gun violence prevention. At the February 2020 Changemaker Lab,
Mike Sievert awarded each of the three category winners $10,000 and
offered support via one-on-one meetings with T-Mobile leaders and
Ashoka experts.
“The T-Mobile Changemaker Challenge was truly a once in a
lifetime experience for me,” said Kevin Malaekeh, co-founder and
president of Youth Climate Action Coalition, a coalition designed
to give schools the tools they need to become more sustainable and
the 2019 Changemaker Challenge grand prize winner. “It was
inspiring to be surrounded by youth so passionate about what they
do. I met some lifelong friends, and we’ve even started our own
venture together after the challenge called Project New Normal. The
seed money helped my organization secure partnerships with
influencers that have helped us grow our social media audience to
over 10,000 and reach out to 1.5 million people across the
world.”
Individuals and teams ready to supercharge their game-changing
ideas can visit the contest website to learn everything they need to
know about the 2021 Changemaker Challenge.
About T-Mobile T-Mobile U.S. Inc. (NASDAQ: TMUS) is America’s
supercharged Un-carrier, delivering an advanced 4G LTE and
transformative nationwide 5G network that will offer reliable
connectivity for all. T-Mobile’s customers benefit from its
unmatched combination of value and quality, unwavering obsession
with offering them the best possible service experience and
undisputable drive for disruption that creates competition and
innovation in wireless and beyond. Based in Bellevue, Wash.,
T-Mobile provides services through its subsidiaries and operates
its flagship brands, T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile and Sprint. For
more information please visit: https://www.t-mobile.com.
About T-Mobile Foundation The T-Mobile Foundation is
committed to changing the world for good. The Foundation advances
positive change in our communities by supporting causes that focus
on youth development, and by providing opportunities for T-Mobile
employees to engage in causes that benefit the communities where
they live and work. The T-Mobile Foundation, created and funded by
T-Mobile US, Inc., is recognized by the IRS as a Section 501(c)(3)
private foundation.
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