Youth Innovation Lab
Empowering young people as architects of community change
Proposal to the Westbrook Foundation
Youth Innovation Grant Program
Requested amount: $75,000
Submitted by:
Community Pathways Initiative
123 Community Drive, Metro City, ST 12345
Contact: Maria Rodriguez, Executive Director
[email protected] | (555) 234-5678
March 15, 2025
Executive summary
Community Pathways Initiative requests $75,000 from the Westbrook Foundation to launch the Youth Innovation Lab—a transformative program empowering 150 young people ages 14-19 to design and deploy community solutions using human-centered design and emerging technologies.
Metro County youth face compounding barriers: 42% unemployment among 16-19 year olds, 67% lacking reliable technology access, and limited pathways to leadership. Yet these same young people possess intimate knowledge of their communities and untapped capacity for innovation. The Youth Innovation Lab transforms this potential into action.
Our youth-driven model distinguishes this program from traditional youth services. Participants don’t simply receive programming—they design it. Youth hold 50% of advisory committee seats, co-facilitate workshops, and make decisions about resource allocation. Over nine intensive months, they progress from community researchers to solution architects to change agents.
Innovation is embedded throughout: Youth learn ethnographic research methods, prototype with 3D printers and digital tools, and iterate solutions based on community feedback. Last year’s pilot yielded twelve youth-designed projects including a multilingual resource app and peer mental health platform—concrete innovations addressing real needs.
With Westbrook Foundation support, we will scale this proven approach, engage diverse youth populations, and create a replicable model demonstrating that young people aren’t just the future—they’re essential partners in solving today’s challenges.
Problem statement: The youth opportunity crisis
The compounding challenge
Metro County’s young people stand at a critical juncture where economic, educational, and social barriers converge to limit their potential and silence their voices. The data paints a stark picture: Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 42% unemployment among 16-19 year olds—triple the adult rate and the highest in our region’s history. This isn’t simply an employment problem; it’s a symptom of systemic exclusion from opportunity pathways.
The Metro Digital Equity Study (2024) reveals that 67% of low-income youth lack reliable internet access at home. In an increasingly digital economy, this gap doesn’t just limit homework completion—it excludes young people from the tools, platforms, and networks that drive modern innovation.
Perhaps most troubling is the leadership vacuum. Our Youth Voice Survey (n=450) found that 78% of young people desire leadership opportunities but see no viable pathways in their communities.
The cycle of exclusion
These barriers create a devastating cycle. Without early exposure to problem-solving methodologies, technology tools, and professional networks, young people enter adulthood without competitive advantages. They lack professional soft skills, technical competencies, social capital, and a sense of agency that comes from seeing their ideas valued and implemented.
The innovation imperative
What’s needed isn’t another youth program—it’s a fundamental shift in how we engage young people. Stanford Social Innovation Review’s recent analysis found that youth-led initiatives achieve 47% higher community adoption rates than adult-designed programs addressing identical issues.
Proposed program: The Youth Innovation Lab
Program overview
The Youth Innovation Lab is a nine-month intensive program that positions 150 diverse young people ages 14-19 as community innovators. Through rigorous training in design thinking, technology tools, and collaborative problem-solving, participants identify pressing neighborhood challenges and develop evidence-based solutions.
Three-phase curriculum
Phase 1: Discovery (Months 1-3) — Youth become community researchers, learning ethnographic methods to deeply understand neighborhood challenges. Activities include conducting resident interviews, asset mapping, data visualization workshops, and ethics training.
Phase 2: Design (Months 4-6) — Armed with community insights, youth enter our Innovation Studio equipped with 3D printers, coding workstations, and digital fabrication tools. Using human-centered design principles, they generate and test solution concepts with mentor guidance.
Phase 3: Deployment (Months 7-9) — Solutions move from prototype to implementation. Youth pilot solutions with community partners, collect impact data, iterate based on testing, and present at the annual Community Solutions Showcase.
Innovation through youth governance
Central to our approach is the Youth Advisory Committee, where participants hold 50% of seats on the program governance body. Youth voice directly shapes curriculum modifications, mentor selection, resource allocation, and community partnership development.
Budget narrative
The requested $75,000 represents a strategic investment in youth capacity-building, with 78% of funds supporting direct program delivery.
- Personnel: $32,500 (43% of total)
- Fringe benefits: $8,125 (11% of total)
- Technology & supplies: $11,500 ($15 of total)
- Participant stipends: $13,500 (18% of total)
- Indirect costs: $9,375 (13% of total)
- Total request: $75,000
Personnel (43%): Includes 0.5 FTE Program Director providing strategic oversight and 1.0 FTE Program Coordinator managing daily operations.
Participant stipends (18%): Youth receive $200 stipends recognizing their labor as community researchers and innovators.
Evaluation plan
Our evaluation framework measures both individual youth development and community-level impact.
Theory of change
If we provide young people with design thinking skills, technology tools, mentorship, and authentic decision-making power, then they will develop agency, technical competencies, and community connections that translate to academic success and career readiness.
Outcome metrics
- Program completion: 90% of enrolled youth complete all three phases
- Leadership development: 85% report increased confidence in problem-solving abilities
- Technical skill acquisition: 80% demonstrate proficiency in design thinking methodology
- Community impact: Minimum 10 youth-designed solutions advance to implementation
- Long-term pathways: 70% of graduates pursue STEM, social innovation, or civic engagement within 12 months
Conclusion
The Youth Innovation Lab represents more than a program—it’s an investment in redefining how communities engage their youngest members. With Westbrook Foundation support, we will demonstrate that young people aren’t problems to be solved but essential partners in building more resilient, innovative, and equitable communities.
We welcome the opportunity to discuss this proposal further and thank the Westbrook Foundation for considering this partnership in youth-driven community innovation.