Youth4Change Competes for $50k Grant

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Friday, December 24, 2010

GoLocalProv Features Team

It's an Internet battle for an idea, and Providence's Youth 4 Change Alliance just tossed in its hat for $50,000.

Millions of people cast their vote for their favorite television talents and political leaders, but what happens when the American public is asked to vote on who gets money for a good idea? Providence’s Youth 4 Change Alliance (Y4C) will find out just that this month as they compete against 1,000 other individuals, business and organizations in Pepsi’s Refresh Project.

The Pepsi Refresh Project utlizes social networking and Internet participation to call awareness to (and ultimately fund) good ideas from organizations nationwide, that benefit the public good. Thousands of applications are received for a monthly vote, and Y4C's Transportation 4 Education campaign was selected to compete in the December national vote. At stake: a $50,000 grant.

The Youth 4 Change proposal

Y4C, an alliance led by four non-profit youth organizations—Direct Action for Rights and Equality (DARE), Providence Youth Student Movement (PrYSM), Young Voices, and Youth In Action (YIA)—has been pushing for more youth voice and influence in public policy and decision making. The proposed campaign aims at decreasing student barriers to attending school.

Y4C’s proposal for the Pepsi Refresh Grant requests funding for a transportation-oriented public awareness campaign. The campaign includes youth-produced and youth-designed billboard ads, radio ads, and television commercials.

Y4C's campaign point to the fact that in the city of Providence, high school students who live within three miles of their school are not provided transportation and are expected to walk, get a ride, or in the case for most students - pay their own bus fare. Students cite recent RIPTA fare increases as increasingly prohibitive, particularly, they say, in districts where a large majority of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

How to vote

The top 10 vote-getters on Pepsi's Refresh site will each win a $50,000 grant. To vote for Y4C, go here. (Voters also text 104586 to Pepsi - 73774.) Voters can log in or text every day to vote for the project. Voting continues through December 31.