What's the Big Idea?
2023 Big Ideas Bright Cities Challenge Finalists
Achieve Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota
ACLAMO, Norristown, Pennsylvania
America Needs You, New York, NY / Los Angeles, CA
Café Momentum, Dallas, Texas
Cincinnati Youth Collaborative, Cincinnati, Ohio
Hopeworks 'N Camden, Camden, New Jersey
The LEAH Project, Boston, Massachusetts
Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts, Springfield, Massachusetts
Junior Achievement of Southwest New England, Inc., Hartford, Connecticut
Manufacturing Advocacy & Growth Network Inc., Cleveland, Ohio
MyPath Mahoning Valley, Warren, Ohio
Southern California College Attainment Network, Los Angeles, California
The Center for Teen Empowerment, Somerville, Massachusetts
United for College | Career Success, Houston, Texas
Youth Job Center, Evanston, Illinois
Cincinnati Youth Collaborative is one of 15 finalists in the 2023 Big Ideas, Bright Cities Challenge.
As a finalist, they are in running to receive a $100 thousand award and will be part of a year-long incubator working with nonprofits, businesses + policymakers in youth skills development.
CYC’s “big idea” is to make Cincinnati the “City of Mentoring” – A place where every young person has access to a caring adult to help guide them on their pathway to success in education, career and life.
The Big Ideas, Bright Cities Challenge honors teams of nonprofits, education organizations, and cities working with the business community to create innovative programs that help prepare young people for meaningful careers.
For the next year, all 15 Finalist will be part of an incubator program to share leading practices and connect with business and city leaders invested in youth skills development. The Skills Friendly Cites Network will help their ideas to grow and inspire others.
This is the second cohort of winners in the Challenge, run by the Global Business Coalition for Education, a movement of businesses committed to ending the global education crisis. The initiative is made possible by support from Dell Technologies and Deloitte.
“With this Challenge, we’re spotlighting groundbreaking work across the country to nurture skills in young people and help set them up for success,” said Justin van Fleet, executive director of the Global Business Coalition for Education. “This is our way of encouraging youth-serving nonprofits, companies and cities to work together, building skills for the next generation.”
The 15 finalists outstanding represent organizations and cities from 9 states across the U.S. have been chosen from a wide pool of applicants to join the growing network of Skills Friendly Cities thanks to their exceptional “big ideas” to provide young people with essential skills for workforce readiness, addressing the growing skills gap.
The Challenge invited organizations to develop bold, innovative ideas that equip young people with skills to participate in the workforce and address the Ten Standards for a Skills-Friendly Cities.
That organization will receive a $100,000 grant, and the remaining 14 finalists will each receive grants to expand their impact. All 15 organizations will join the growing network of Skills Friendly Cities and take part in our year-long community incubator program to learn from experts, connect with the business community, share ideas and scale up.
The Grand Prize Winner will be announced Mid-November