Youth Venture

Project ideas are evaluated and grants are awarded on an ongoing basis. The final deadline is March 15, 2009.

Eligibility Criteria

1. The challenge is open to all youth between the ages of 12 and 20 in North America and Europe and 12 and 24 everywhere else. (Proof of age will be required before grants can be approved.)
2. Each participant is limited to one grant.
3. Each participant will be required to submit an action plan showing what activities will be carried out and how the grant will be spent.
4. Each participant will need to form a team with at least two other youth to qualify for funding.
5. Participants under age of 18 must have parental or guardian support and approval to receive grants and launch projects.
6. Ideas and action plans should be submitted before March 15, 2009 in English, Spanish or French.

 Assessment Criteria

Grants will be awarded to projects that best meet the following criteria:

1. Innovation – Project uses a new or adapted technology to address a local or global challenge.
2. Impact – Project has potential to produce significant or measurable impact on the issue it addresses.
3. Sustainability – Project has potential to produce on-going positive change. In other words, it’s not a one time event.
4. Youth-led and youth-driven – Leaders of the project should be between 12 and 20 (North America and Europe) and 12 and 24 (everywhere else).
Global Roundtable on Climate Change - A panel of distinguished judges will choose five of the best invention ventures to participate in a global roundtable on climate change at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology).
5. Scholarship Grand Prize – From the pool of invention ventures, judges will also award one team a $20,000 scholarship to pursue their university education.

General Guidelines

1. Deadline – The last day to submit a project idea is March 15, 2009.
2. Grants – Up to 50 grants will be awarded for this challenge.
3. Entries – Submit an idea first. If your idea meets our criteria (see above), we will send you an application (an “action plan”) to apply for a grant. We welcome all ideas, even if they are similar to ideas other youth have submitted.

Disclaimer — Compliance with Legal Restrictions

Ashoka GenV complies fully with all U.S. laws and regulations, including Office of Foreign Assets Control regulations, export control, and anti-money laundering laws. All grants will be awarded subject to compliance with such laws. Ashoka will not make any grant if it finds that to do so would be unlawful. This may prohibit awards in certain countries and/or to certain individuals or entities. All recipients will comply with these laws to the extent they are applicable to such recipients. No recipient will take any action that would cause Ashoka to violate any laws. Additionally, Ashoka will not make any grant to a company involved in the promotion of tobacco use.