Voices For Change Award

The Voices for Change Award celebrates the transformative leadership of youth who are achieving racial and health equity through people power. The California Endowment seeks nominations for leaders ages 16-26 whose work reflects a bold vision for what’s possible with health equity and racial justice. One youth per region who has done exceptional work in the area of health, justice reform, schools, and inclusive community development will be selected as a recipient. These youth are agents of change who have dedicated themselves to the hard work of addressing social injustices or inequalities in their local community or at a statewide level.

2024 Voices for Change Award Winners

These four award winners each received $3,000.

About The Issues

The issue areas for the Voices for Change Award was determined in partnership with TCE’s President’s Youth Council (PYC) to honor the leaders dedicated to the issues the PYC finds most pressing. We acknowledge that many of these issues intersect, so if your nominee works across multiple issue areas, please focus on the one issue category that is most relevant to your nominee’s work.

We have provided brief explanations of the issues below. Please keep in mind that these descriptions are not all-inclusive; relevant issue work may not be included below.

Health Systems

Health Systems

Learn how we are using the immense power in belonging to help build a healthier, more just California for All.

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Justice Reinvestment

Justice Reinvestment

Re-imagining a criminal justice system that centers on prevention and healing.

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Inclusive Communities

Inclusive Communities

Our communities and neighborhoods thrive when policies advance health and racial equity for all Californians.

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Power Infrastructure

Power Infrastructure

Our health system works best when every Californian has access to quality and affordable health care.

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Schools

Schools

Schools encompasses work reimagining the educational system centering healing, social, emotional, and physical needs of students.

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How to Nominate

Are you self-nominating or peer-nominating?

If you are a youth leader, determining whether you will self-nominate or have a peer nominate you. Also consider whether you’d like to write a short personal statement if a peer, adult ally, or family member is nominating you. If you are a peer nominator, determining whether you’d like to ask your nominee to write a short statement.

Read the Rules & FAQs

Per the nomination rules, please keep in mind that a nominator may not dual nominate the same youth leader for both the Voices for Change Award and the Brandon Harrison Award.

Things to Consider

  • Consider the diverse ways in which the nominee has engaged in the political process, showed up in a volunteer capacity, acted as an advocate, trained others, or encouraged engagement on an important issue.
  • Think deeply about the ways in which the nominee has taken brave action when faced with deep-rooted systemic barriers and injustice.
  • Determine how the nominee has shown up as an agent of change.
  • Gauge the impact the nominee has already made in their community, and how you envision their leadership evolving in the years ahead.

Rules

  • The reviewers will only read ONE nomination per person, so multiple nominations will not help.
    • The reviewers use an unique scoring process to move nominations forward; multiple nominations for an individual does not increase the likelihood of winning an award.
  • Self-nominations AND peer nominations completed by a mentor, friend, classmate, or colleague of a youth leader or organization are both allowed.
  • The 2024 TCE Youth Awards nominations portal is open for submissions from October 25, 2023 – January 12, 2024 (11:59pm PST). No late submissions will be accepted.
  • To submit your nomination be sure to read each prompt in its entirety and answer each question to the best of your ability. Be sure to adhere to the word limit of each prompt!
  • Nominators may nominate as many young leaders as they wish. However, nominators may only nominate each youth once (i.e. nominators may not submit multiple entry forms on behalf of the same youth).
  • A nominator may not dual nominate the same youth leader for both the Voices for Change Award and the Brandon Harrison Youth Visionary Award.
  • The nominated young leaders must be between the ages of 16 and 26 by December 31, 2023.
  • All submitted entry forms are final and may not be changed or updated after submission.
  • All content may be used by The California Endowment video production team for event production purposes, event marketing, and communications purposes.
  • Previous Youth Awards winners are not eligible for the 2024 Youth Awards. For a list of previous winners, click here.
  • Individuals and organizations that have previously submitted applications for the Youth Awards but were not selected as winners are welcome to apply again.

FAQs

What are The California Endowment Youth Awards?

The California Endowment (TCE) Youth Awards were created to celebrate the long-standing efforts and achievements of youth leaders and youth-allied non-profit organizations that are advancing health and racial equity.  These California youth inspire their peers and communities while embodying the values of The California Endowment.

The nomination window will close on January 12, 2024 (11:59pm PST).

The winners for the 2024 Youth Awards will be announced in June 2024.

Great news!  The 2024 Youth Awards will be in Los Angeles at the California Endowment on July 27, 2024. We will celebrate the leadership of youth from throughout California who are advancing health and racial equity in their communities and take all precautions in place for COVID-19.

The three TCE Youth Award categories were created to honor the achievements that young individuals and non-profits  have made in the journey toward better health for their local communities and, in some cases, across the state.

  1. The Brandon Harrison Youth Visionary award recognizes an exceptional youth who has overcome challenges and obstacles to battle back from trauma and place themselves and their community on a path toward success. Brandon Harrison was a youth activist from Stockton, California who was a member of TCE’s President’s Youth Council. In his memory and legacy, this award celebrates young activists who are carrying on the fight for health and racial justice. One award recipient will receive $10,000.
  2. The Youth Power Partner award celebrates non-profit organizations who are cultivating pathways for youth power. The organization selected can be a youth-led advocacy organization or an adult ally-led organization supporting youth voice and power. Four non-profit organizations will each receive $10,000.
  3. The Voices for Change award celebrates the transformative leadership of youth who are achieving racial and health equity through people power. Four youth, one per region, who have done exceptional work in the area of health, justice reform, schools, and inclusive community development will be selected as a recipient.  Four award recipients will receive $3,000 each. 1 awardee per region (North, South, Central, and Los Angeles).

We acknowledge that many youth advocates work in multiple issue spaces and that our issue categories for the Voices for Change Award may not include your nominee’s focus. If your nominee’s work doesn’t fit into any of the outlined issue areas, choose the option closest to your nominee’s work. If your nominee works in more than one issue space, please select all that apply.

If your nominee has done extensive work in one of the listed categories for the Voices for Change Award, you should nominate them for that. We are excited to focus on and amplify work in issue areas that are important to the President’s Youth Council and The California Endowment. The Brandon Harrison Award is intended for nominees, regardless of issue areas, who have overcome overwhelming obstacles to battle back from trauma and place themselves and their community on a path toward success.

Each of the four Voices for Change Award recipients will receive $3,000. The four Youth Power Partner Award recipients and the Brandon Harrison Youth Visionary Award recipient will each receive $10,000.

Do you know a young person between the ages of 16 and 26 who is doing remarkable things for their community? If so, regardless of whether you are a proud mom, an impressed teacher, an enthused administrator – you name it – if you want to nominate someone, you can. Youth leaders can also nominate themselves for a Youth Award. The nomination window for the 2024 Youth Awards runs from October 25, 2023 – January 12, 2024 (11:59pm PST).

Reviewing each nomination is a Selection Committee comprised of California youth leaders participating in a social change philanthropy initiative. The Selection Committee will follow a standardized judging process.

Explore Programs & Events at TCE

Programming designed to convene, build solidarity and create a connective tool to uplift voices in community for social change.

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Learn About Our Grantmaking

The California Endowment's grant making is guided by our three bold ideas: People Power, Reimaging Institutions and a 21st Century Health System for All.

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