Youth Champions Initiative 2017 for Young Professionals (Fully Funded to Los Altos, California, USA)

Application Deadline: JANUARY 15, 2017

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation and the Public Health Institute have partnered to launch a second cohort of the Youth Champions Initiative – an exciting initiative to advance innovation and quality in the field of sexual and reproductive health and rights globally. The Youth Champions Initiative (YCI) invests in visionary young champions who lead the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) movement now and for the next generation. Following a competitive selection process, YCI will select 18 visionary young people working in Packard Foundation priority geographies –

• India (Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, New Delhi),
• Ethiopia (Oromiya and Addis Ababa),
• Pakistan (Karachi), and
• The United States (Louisiana and Mississippi).

Youth Champions Initiative improves the lives of young people by advancing innovation and quality in the field of sexual and reproductive health and rights globally. Recent successes include:

• Leveraging WhatsApp in India to deliver youth-friendly mobile instant messaging on SRH; Developing an animated television series in Ethiopia about girl super heroines fighting for girls’ health and rights;
• Creating comic books in Pakistan to deliver healthy menstrual hygiene information to girls and their families;
• Teaching youth in the United States to use art, dance, and spoken word poetry to advocate for comprehensive sexuality education.

Requirements:

Eligible candidates must meet the following selection criteria:
1. Young persons between the ages of 18-29
2. Residents of:
• Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and New Delhi, India
• Oromiya and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• Karachi, Pakistan
• Louisiana and Mississippi, USA
3. Personal dedication to improving sexual and reproductive health and rights
4. Commitment to social change and experience in one or more of the following areas: youth development, education, sexual and reproductive health and rights, innovation and/or related fields
5. Support of the applicant’s host organization and ability to participate in a workshop in Los Altos, California, USA in the Spring of 2017.
6. Proficient in oral and written English

Benefits:

• In the Spring of 2017, the Youth Champions will participate in the YCI Incubator in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, USA. This intensive Incubator workshop will integrate hands on capacity building in the areas of sexual and reproductive health and rights, leadership, innovation, advocacy, and project development.
• The Incubator will provide Youth Champions with the opportunity to strengthen their skills and leadership, learn from internationally-recognized SRHR experts, develop their own SRHR projects, and share their vision for SRHR.
• YCI will also pair each Youth Champion with a mentor to work with them to strengthen their leadership and impact.
• YCI will cover all costs related to program participation, including passport and visa application fees, round-trip travel costs, food, and lodging during the week-long Incubator workshop in Los Altos, California, USA.

Application Procedure:

• Download and fill out the application form

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Youth Champions Initiative 2017