GeorgiaForward, a statewide nonpartisan nonprofit, is working to strengthen communities, unite our State and create a talent pipeline within Georgia. Our leading program, Young Gamechangers, is a leadership action program that brings 50 of our State’s best and brightest together to make big idea recommendations to longstanding challenges in ONE Georgia community.
The program is built on action and collaboration with a community that is eager to harness the power and creativity of young professionals. With a track record of success in Americus/Sumter County (2012), Dublin/Laurens County (2013-2014), Douglasville/Douglas County (Spring 2016), Augusta (Fall 2016), a current program happening in in LaGrange/Troup County and the Fall 2017 program to be announced in April, GeorgiaForward is looking for its next locations!
The program, which runs approximately six months, asks the host community to help identify four challenges that could use a fresh perspective and bold solutions. The Young Gamechangers then spend time learning about the community, meeting with leaders, and beginning to understand and examine longstanding challenges in the focus community that have a widespread effect on the vibrancy, livability and overall success of the city/county. From increasing the vitality in downtown to connectivity with bike routes and interstates to overall branding, Young Gamechangers make creative, out-of-the-box recommendations that have the power to make true, long-lasting impacts in communities around our state.
To view the Final Recommendations from previous programs, visit
http://georgiaforward.org/young-gamechangers/.
GeorgiaForward is accepting applications through April 14, 2017 for the host communities for its 2018 programs. The Spring program will run from January through June and the Fall program will run from August through December. There are 50 participants in each class with roughly one-third coming from the host community, one-third from Metro Atlanta and one-third from Greater Georgia. Each class meets three times (five days) over the class period: two Thursday-Friday meetings and the Final Recommendations to the community on a Friday.
The host community must work with GeorgiaForward to raise a minimum of $50,000 in sponsorship dollars for the program. Up to $25,000 can be in-kind donations in the areas of hotel rooms, meeting space, meals and transportation.
It is vital to the success of the program that we have community support. GeorgiaForward brings Young Gamechangers to communities that are eager to host this program, have businesses (companies, foundations, governments, individuals, etc.) that will help support the program and have overarching challenges that realistic solutions can be developed for in a six-month period.
To apply, please email a letter of interest to [email protected] by midnight on Friday, April 14, 2017. The letter can come from anyone in the community and must have at least five signatures of support from leaders in your community. The letter should outline community challenges that effect a broad range of citizens as well as address the potential support in your community for the program.
Should you have any questions about the application process or Young Gamechangers, don’t hesitate to contact GeorgiaForward’s Executive Director Kris Vaughn at [email protected].
