About Youth Tech Health Initiative:

The YTH Initiative (formerly YTH) is an initiative of ETR, a nonprofit organization founded in 1981 with offices across California and employees around the United States. Using innovative methods and new media, the YTH Initiative advances the health and wellness of young people through technology. YTH empowers young people to make informed decisions about their health.

Project/Goal:

The goal of this project is to stimulate, and support youth-driven and youth-centered innovation for increasing access and utilization of HIV prevention, testing, and treatment services by identifying, supporting and co-creating solutions with youth living with or affected by HIV. Selected participants will receive a mini grant of up to $5000.

This is a 12-month mentorship innovator program that partners youth with an innovation to health and tech professionals to co-build and harness their wisdom, resilience and creativity to be authentic in our work.

Youth Innovators are supported to develop their own Capacity Building Assistance (CBA).

Who Can Apply?

Eligibility Criteria:

• Youth ages 13-24, must be within this age once the winners are selected
• Black, African American, and others from the African Diaspora, Latino/Latinx
• US Resident
• HIV positive or affected by HIV
• Leadership experience such as - volunteering, engagement in your community, and school based extracurricular activities
• An original innovative idea for HIV prevention, testing, treatment, and care

*Priority will be given to people of color, transgender, non-binary, intersex, and/or queer applicants including- lesbian, gay, bisexual, same gender loving, pansexual
*No formal education requirements

Youth Development Principles

The underlying philosophy of youth development is holistic, preventative and positive, focusing on the development of assets and competencies in all young people. Key elements to the Youth Development approach are the following:

• Youth are viewed as a valued and respected asset to society;
• Policies and programs focus on the evolving developmental needs and tasks of adolescents, and involve youth as partners rather than clients; families, schools and communities are engaged in developing environments that support youth;
• Adolescents are involved in activities that enhance their competence, connections, character, confidence and contribution to society;
• Adolescents are provided an opportunity to experiment in a safer environment and to develop positive social values and norms; and adolescents are engaged in activities that promote self-understanding, self-worth, and a sense of belonging and resiliency.

Applying

Applications will be accepted between July 24th, 2019– August 15th, 2019.
No applications will be accepted after August 24th, 2019 at 11:59pm PDT.
Make sure to double check that you meet the eligibility requirements before submitting an application. Applicants are invited to a webinar overviewing the submission process in August. Applications will be accepted during the above listed time period only, no exceptions! Applications will be screened by our team weekly and shortlisted for a video or in-person interview. Grantees will be notified by email that LIYT would like to invest in their innovation. Once our judges have selected grantees, we will host an orientation webinar to make sure mentors and grantees are on the same page.

Registration:

Create a profile, answer the required questions, and submit contact information for 3 references along with a video pitching your innovation that doesn’t exceed 3 minutes.

For more information visit Youth Tech Health Initiative