Join @youngfutures.bsky.social Innovators Showcase as they spotlight their Here Comes the Fun Cohort, proving tech can be a powerful force for fun and wellbeing! 🗓 Feb 18, 2026, 9:30am PT / 12:30pm ET. 🔗 Register at bit.ly/HCTFShowcase #YouthWellbeing #HCTFShowcase
Nominations are officially CLOSED! 🔒
A massive thank you to everyone who applied and shared the Young Futures Awards. We are so inspired by this community!
Awardees will be notified in March 2026.
Stay tuned, we can’t wait to introduce you to the next group of Innovators! ✨ #YoungFuturesAwards
⚠️ LAST CHANCE. ⚠️
Nominations for the Young Futures Awards close TONIGHT. This is your final call to join the YF Academy as an individual and be recognized for your work in youth wellbeing. 🕛
Submit your nomination before the deadline!
bit.ly/YFAwardsNomination
#YoungFuturesAwards
Selected Innovators get funding, leadership training, and a trip to Austin for the YF Block Party.
✈️ Nominations close soon. Get yours in!
bit.ly/YFAwardsNomination
#YoungFuturesAwards
Are you a researcher turning data into impact?
An activist fighting for safer online spaces?
An adult championing youth mental health?
We want to hear your story.
🚨 1 WEEK LEFT! 🚨
The clock is ticking on the Young Futures Awards nominations.
We’re looking for the builders, dreamers, and doers shaping a healthier digital world.
Don't miss your shot to join the YF500. ⏳
Apply: bit.ly/YFAwardsNomination
Nominations are officially OPEN!
📍 US-Based
📅 Open now - Mid Jan
🔗 Apply here: bit.ly/YFAwardsNomination
Let’s build a hopeful future together.
#YoungFuturesAwards #DigitalWellbeing
Categories (Ages 18-29):
⭐ Good Actors in Tech
⭐ Research & Academia
⭐ Storytellers
⭐ Activists
⭐ Entrepreneurs
Category (Ages 30+):
⭐ Adults Championing Youth\
We are honoring everyone from Gen-Z founders to adult mentors.
PLUS: Awardees will be celebrated at our inaugural YF Block Party—a massive field-building event in Austin, Texas, May 13-14, 2026! 🤠
It’s going to be a rockstar lineup of people shaping youth wellbeing.
Stay tuned for more information!
We’re building on the legacy of Hopelab's Behavioral Health Awards to recognize 30 rising leaders. Awardees become YF Innovators, enter the YF Academy to level up leadership, and join the YF500 ecosystem.
✨ Introducing the Young Futures Awards powered by @hopelab! ✨
We’re uplifting the next gen of leaders making the digital world easier to grow up in.
🏆 Nominate yourself or a changemaker today!
Check the article for full details: bit.ly/YFAwardsArticle
These 8 pioneers are using the RITEC framework for wellbeing, proving that with intention and creativity, tech can be a powerful force for fun and positive development. Stay tuned for updates as they dive into the Young Futures Academy! 🚀
www.linkedin.com/pulse/introd...
Kathryn Youngblood at Debris Tracker Junior is reimagining community science for teens by creating a mission-based app game to explore and prevent plastic pollution. Her project puts joy and creativity at the forefront of environmental action. ♻️
Jen Chiou at CodeSpeak Labs co-created a digital RPG where youth work together through culturally diverse adventures. Quest Craft sparks imagination and builds social connection while growing skills for navigating life’s quests. 🗺️
Jake Stika at Next Gen Men is building an online community where masculine-identifying youth can connect, play, and support each other. The NGM Alliance builds genuine friendships and wellbeing through safe, youth-led digital experiences. 👦
Beth Rosenberg at Tech Unlimited empowers neurodiverse teens to create videos explaining why their favorite games matter to them. Her project highlights digital play as a source of confidence and identity to foster greater family understanding. 🧩
Dr. Lynn Fiellin at play2PREVENT Lab is co-creating an interactive digital game with teens and their families to tackle the mental health challenges of social media. This initiative empowers youth to build resilience and foster healthier online experiences together. 🧘♀️
Amanda Slavin at Learning Economy Foundation is harnessing AI to put learners in control of their growth. Her project provides a digital tool that tracks meaningful play and offers personalized prompts for shared activities that strengthen learning. 🧠
Alise Dixon at Boys and Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan empowers young people to create safer, more inclusive gaming communities. Her youth-led program includes the GameSafe Pledge and a youth-managed Twitch channel to promote respect across digital platforms. 🛡️
Erin J.K. Truesdell at Entrepreneurial Game Studio is turning a city skyline into a canvas for playful learning. Her project invites youth to learn programming by designing games for the world's largest architectural video game display. 🏙️
Teens are craving joyful, unstructured time. Inspired by the Four Freedoms of Play (to fail, experiment, embody, & control effort), our new YF Innovators are co-creating digital experiences that spark joy & connection, not just grind. Let the fun begin!
Introducing the Fourth Cohort of Young Futures Innovators! 🎉 Meet the 8 visionary leaders in our Here Comes the Fun Cohort who are harnessing the power of play to boost teen wellbeing in the digital world. Game on for a brighter future! 🎮✨ #Wellbeing #DigitalPlay #YFInnovators
Got an innovative idea for youth and AI? 💡 Don't miss the "Oops!...AI Did It Again" Funding Challenge Info Session TODAY!
⏰ Wed, Oct 15th | 3:00 PM ET
Register now! ➡️ bit.ly/OOPSInfoSess...
#AIAgency #FundingChallenge #YoungFutures
Ready to reimagine how young people connect, learn, & grow in the age of AI?
Applications Open: Oct 8 - Oct 24
🗓️ Info Session: Oct 15 (bit.ly/OOPSInfoSess...)
Find eligibility info & apply now: www.youngfutures.org/funding-chal...
Let's build a better digital future—together!
We're looking to back ~10 Young Futures Innovators! Alongside funding, grant recipients will join the 5-month YF Academy to level up their org, which includes leadership coaching, fundraising strategies, media support, and more!
#YoungFutures #NonprofitFunding #OopsAIDidItAgain
Why AI Agency?
Teens need to understand, question, shape, & even build AI systems that reflect their values. It's more than literacy; it's about being an active participant, not a passive consumer.
That's why we're seeking solutions led or co-designed by young people!
We're looking for innovative solutions across 4 key themes rooted in AI Agency:
Youth-Powered AI
AI in Learning, Work, & Creativity
AI in Relationships & Mental Health
Intergenerational Guidance
Learn more about these themes: docsend.com/view/m697ccc...
Teens are using Generative AI for school, creativity, & even emotional support—but often without the guidance they need. Our Youth Listening Tour confirmed the stakes are high: from misinformation to mental health risks.
We can't repeat the mistakes of social media's rise. #GenAI
🚨 New Funding Challenge Alert! 🚨
Introducing "Oops!...AI Did It Again"!
We're funding bold solutions that give young people AI Agency—the power to navigate AI safely, critically, & with control.
www.youngfutures.org/funding-chal...
#AIagency #YoungFutures #OopsAIDidItAgain #YF500
Congrats to our partners, @youngfutures.bsky.social, who just launched the YF500: a first-of-its-kind $50M philanthropic index fund to support 500 nonprofit leaders building a better digital world for 40 million young people.
Learn more: www.youngfutures.org
#YF500 #YouthWellbeing
