Time for Change Youth Challenge Announced

First Book and Ashoka are excited to welcome educators back to the Time for Change initiative by kicking off the school year with a BIG announcement. Time for Change is a multi-year initiative in partnership with Ashoka and Audemars Piguet. We’re working together to equip educators and young people with resources to incorporate the mindset that everyone has the power to become a changemaker into learning environments in low-income communities across the U.S. A changemaker is someone who imagines a better reality, takes action, and collaborates with others to bring that new reality into being for the good of others. So, our next opportunity will build on the series of Time for Change resources for educators and invite kids directly to take their changemaking skills to the next level…

This fall, we’re launching the Time for Change Youth Challenge! 

Application is Now Open!

We’re excited to announce that the application for the Time for Change Youth Challenge is now open! To set students up for submitting successful Challenge entries, First Book and Ashoka will share tons of resources, activities, funding, and step-by-step application guidance with our network of educators and program leaders in the coming months. 

We invite you to join us for an Information Session about the Time for Change Youth Challenge and to ask general questions on Thursday, October 5th from 7-8PM ET.

Be sure to watch this space!  As new information about the timeline, eligibility, application criteria, support sessions, and more becomes available, we’ll update this post.

What is the Time for Change Youth Challenge?

This new challenge is a chance for young people in First Book communities nationwide to exercise their changemaking muscles; giving them a platform to share their bold ideas, get connected to other innovative kids, and tackle problems that matter to them.

Students in grades K-12 who attend First Book-eligible schools or community programs are invited to enter by submitting their idea and action plan to make an impact on an issue — large or small — that they care about. Not sure if your school or program is eligible? Check out our First Book membership FAQs.

The student grand prize challenge winners will receive $1,000 in seed funding to support taking action on their changemaking idea!

Challenge Timeline At-a-Glance:

• September 22: Challenge application opens
• October 17: Early entry deadline, 11:59PM ET
• November 16: Early entry winners announcement
• January 18: Final deadline, 11:59PM ET
• March 2024: Challenge winners announcement!

​​​​​​For any immediate questions about the Youth Challenge, check out the FAQ page! You can also contact the challenge team directly at TimeForChangeChallenge@ashoka.org.

Step-by-Step Support to Prepare Students for the Challenge

F​irst Book and Ashoka created the NEW 5 Days of Changemaking guide to help prepare students to take action around issues they identify in their communities! 

This guide includes concise classroom activities that educators can practice across 5 consecutive days OR spread across 5 weeks. The guide is designed to be flexible around already existing lesson plans, while actively prepping students to apply through guiding idea development, building teams, and project planning. 

In the Meantime:

Time for Change includes a growing series of free resources, funding opportunities toward relevant books from the First Book Marketplace, and learning experiences. Explore these fantastic free resources that support educators and students wherever they are on their personal changemaking journeys.

Get text updates about the Challenge, invitations to application support sessions, and additional resources to support students’ changemaking journey!

Text CHANGE to 89304.

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