Inside Young Futures Academy: Lessons + Love for Our Lonely Hearts Club Cohort 💔❤️
Young Futures Community,
Thanksgiving marked the close of the first cycle of Young Futures Academy, and I am filled with gratitude and excitement. Our inaugural cohort of YF Innovators has surpassed every expectation—and this is only the beginning of their journey in our growing community.
Over the past months, we've learned so much about what it takes to nurture and support social impact entrepreneurs. Here are three key takeaways:
1. Community is Everything
Connecting YF Innovators with each other has been transformative. The space we created for them to network, share insights, and support one another has proven to be one of the most powerful parts of YF Academy. Time and again, they showed up for each other—and that’s a foundation we will continue to build on.
2. Mentorship from All Sectors Fuels Innovation
Social impact leaders thrive when they have access to diverse expertise, and we were fortunate to connect them with an extraordinary roster of mentors and YF Academy Faculty. From rock stars to serial entrepreneurs, branding ninjas, and YF Masterclass leaders like Scott Harrison (CEO of Charity Water), Deb Dugan (CEO of Beyond Type 1 and former CEO of RED), and Kerry-Ann Hamilton (communications guru extraordinaire), and more...our grantees gained insights and tools to scale their impact. Their engagement with these incredible leaders has been inspiring.
3. Great Things Happen with a Dynamic Team
The success of launching this first cycle wouldn’t have been possible without the vision, dedication, and resilience of our founding team: Kristine Gloria, PhD, Sierra Fox-Woods, and YF Fellow Tiffany Zhu. I’m so grateful to them for embracing this wild ride. We’ve definitely built this plane while flying it, which required every ounce of their talent and determination.
But most importantly, a massive thank you to our YF Innovators, for SHOWING UP. Your energy, engagement, and support for one another were nothing short of phenomenal. This cohort is powerful, and we are so proud to be in your corner from here on out.
As we celebrate this milestone, we also look to the future. Your time in the Young Futures community is just beginning, and we cannot wait to see how your journeys unfold—and how you will continue to shape both this growing ecosystem and the lives of young people across our country. The best is yet to come!
On that note, to our grantseekers,
We’re excited to share that notifications for the Under Pressure Challenge will be sent out soon, and all applicants will hear back by December 15th. We’re grateful for the time and effort you put into this process. While it’s bittersweet to not be able to support more amazing organizations across the country (yet!), we’re so excited to welcoming our next cohort of YF Innovators to our community soon.
Thank you YF community, for being with us every step of the way. Here’s to continuing our work, together.
Warmly,
Katya Hancock
Executive Director, Young Futures
Young Futures in the News
From Submission to Finalist: A Look at our Under Pressure Challenge Review Process. We received 176 proposals tackling teen pressures in a digital world. Our process started with an internal team and three “yelders” (ie. young adults) narrowing the pool to 30, followed by an external committee selecting the top 18 finalists. Dive into the details of our review process and meet the experts who made it all possible.
Reflecting on our first cycle of Young Futures Academy…we can’t believe we’re here already! Katya looks back on some of our key learnings, and celebrates our amazing Lonely Hearts Club cohort of YF Innovators.
Young Futures Innovators in the News
YF Innovator Tony Weaver of Weird Enough Productions was featured in Publishers Weekly about his latest graphic novel memoir, Weirdo, and his mission to amplify representation for Black youth in media.
YF Innovator Larissa May of #HalfTheStory was featured on the Boston Children’s Digital Wellness Lab Blog, where we shared insights on youth people’s wellness in the digital age and offered practical advice for parents and caregivers supporting their kids’ digital well-being.
Speaking of #HalfTheStory, they have two opportunities to join their rockstar team: Digital Civics Fellow and Education Content Developer. Read more here.
Spotlight on Youth Voices
What do teens think about cell phone bans at school? Well, as with all things digital, it’s complicated and nuanced. Read more about what they have to say in this piece from the Digital Wellness Lab’s Student Advisory Council.
What We’re Reading (& Watching)
(Video) Interview: Desmond Patton on Good Day Philadelphia concerning the ban of social media in Australia (LinkedIn, Dec. 2)
(Video) I Know Lonely Project Season 3: Beth Okamoto’s Story (Only7Seconds, Dec. 1)
How to solve the Gen Z social isolation problem? She tried surfing and it worked (NPR, Nov. 30)
What Does It Mean To Be a Man Today Online and In the Real World (Parent Tech Action Coalition, Nov. 22)
A New Campaign Against Loneliness Starts With a Potluck (The New York Times, Nov. 12)
The Beginning of the End of Big Tech (Wired, Nov. 26)
Recipes for Connection: Inspiring Social Connection One Bite at a Time (U.S. Surgeon General, Nov. 22)
Talking to Teens
Practical tips and advice for co-parenting in a digital world from Dr. Raghu Appasani, co-founder of the Parent Tech Action Coalition and a psychiatrist specializing in addiction and integrative care. Some themes: stay consistent, stay curious, and show a united front, even if you disagree.
Friends of YF
A recap of the Center for Digital Thriving’s latest report, Unpacking Grind Culture in American Teens, reveals six key pressures teens face—insights that shaped our recent Under Pressure Funding Challenge. One striking finding? 81% of teens feel negative pressure, with over half (52%) experiencing it in three or more of the six categories. One recommended antidote: reduce overly structured schedules and prioritize free time (the whole family will thank you!).
Funding Opportunities
The Wellcome Trust has an open call for the “Mental Health Award: Accelerating Scalable Digital Mental Health Interventions.” Awards range from $3.2M to $7.8M per project, and teams must have research expertise to drive a proposed research project, an organization (company or non-profit), and lived experience experts. Deadline to apply is December 5, 2024.
Upcoming Events
This year’s FOSI 2024 Annual Conference, From Protection to Empowerment, will advance the dialogue around online safety by focusing not only on protective measures but also on empowering users to navigate the digital world confidently. In-person tickets are sold out, but you can still register to watch the panels online.
Who pays for scale? Lessons from nonprofits that secured funding for bigger reach and impact – December 5th, Virtual: This webinar will explore the key success factors and strategies enabling scaling and sustaining impact and what it takes to secure long-term funding. Register here.