The Winning Seed is your opportunity to realize your dream project with the help of a micro-grant and mentorship!
Are you between the ages of 15 and 29? Young people play an essential role in Canada’s HIV response and we know that you have the potential to make a big difference in your community!
We started the Winning Seed Contest to support young people like you to realize their vision and help bring us one step closer to ending the HIV and AIDS epidemic by 2030!
What's your idea? We believe in it!
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Propose your solution
We want to hear from you however big or small your project is! Possible ideas?
holding an awareness or fundraising event
launching an advocacy campaign
developing web resources
creating artistic pieces
The possibilities are endless!
Realize your project!
The first place winner will receive:
$1000 micro-grant (for project planning and development)
$500 cash prize (for you!)
1 year of mentorship to plan and develop your project.
Pitch your idea
Three finalists will be invited to pitch their project to the jury.
Project pitches will be held during Youth-HIV week (April 10-14, 2023: Date TBC).
$500 cash prize (for you!)
Mentorship to realize your project
Throughout the duration of your project, you will be mentored by an experienced member of LetsStopAIDS staff and other experts in the field. Upon winning the competition, you and your mentor will create a mentorship plan which will define the start and end date of your project, as well as the frequency of mentorship meetings .
Your mentorship package (duration of 1 year) will include:
Support with developing Project Plan, Project Scope, Deliverables and Milestones
Promotion of your project through LetsStopAIDS social media as necessary and agreed upon and approved by LetsStopAIDS Social Media Manager
Assistance with volunteer recruitment if needed
A one-hour PR consultancy session to help you navigate media publicity and get your word out there
Support in planning next steps after the project is completed, to ensure sustainability and applicability
Connection to expert consultants depending on the needs of your project
Mystery prize
First 10 qualifying applications:
$50 cash prize!
Only 2 parts to your submission!
1
This will help the judges get to know you and the inspiration behind your project.
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Your video should not exceed 5 minutes. In your video, you should:
Introduce yourself
Introduce your project
Explain the inspiration behind your project
Explain what you want to achieve through your project
2
This will be your opportunity to provide more details about your project
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When submitting your proposal, you will be asked the following:
Your proposed project title
A summary of your project
Which issue does your project tackle?
What solution are you bringing to the table?
How does your project link to the selected theme (SDG)?
Who will benefit from your initiative (target group(s))?
Briefly list the steps involved in executing your project
How long do you anticipate your project will take?
Can you provide a preliminary list of resources needed to execute the project?
Do you have any sources/data to support your project? If so, please list the sources below and briefly explain how they support your project (1-2 sentences per source)
How much time do you plan to dedicate to your project on a weekly basis?
Projects will be judged based on the following criteria:
How realistic is your project?
While we are open to longer projects, the mentorship is offered for 1-year and we recommend that your project should be achievable within this timeframe.
The bigger the impact on the community the better
Think outside the box!
In order to apply, you must be:
14-29 years old
A Canadian Citizen, Permanent Resident, or Refugee
An individual or a group (we recommend that team size does not exceed 5 people)
Motivated to make positive change in your community!