June 15, 2017; WJBD Radio
Calling it “kind of a think tank of ideas,” Chance the Rapper announced he will collaborate with Liz Dozier, former high school principal and managing director of Chicago Beyond, on the second Go Innovate Challenge. This year’s challenge is a grant program that solicits 90-second video submissions from nonprofits working with the city’s youth. The challenge intends to “find and invest in innovative programs, ideas or approaches that disrupt chronic challenges facing young Chicagoans.”
The grants that come out of the Chicago Beyond coffers will be to programs that benefit 13- to 25-year-old young people in Chicago. That’s Chance’s sweet spot—he recently made a $2.2 million donation to Chicago Public Schools and hosts a long-running open mic series for young people in Chicago.
The focus is very different from last year, when Chicago Beyond put $2.7 million toward enhancing and evaluating three programs for young fathers, formerly incarcerated young people, and high school seniors “at risk of falling off the college track.” That 2016 competition was done in conjunction with the University of Chicago Urban Labs and invited “early stage ideas in two areas: re-engaging ‘disconnected’ youth in work or school and supporting college enrollment and graduation.”
Challenge winners could be awarded up to $2 million for their ideas, but hurry because the deadline for submissions is July 7th at 12:59 p.m. Eastern Time.—Ruth McCambridge
