Guidelines for Entry

Changing Lives Through Football

With 2 weeks to go and over a 110 entries, the race to win a share of the $90,000 prize fund is very close. On May 11^th, two innovators who are already affecting social change through football won our early entry prize:

Fútbol con Corazón – Colombia Fútbol Con Corazón is a grass-roots social change model that utilizes soccer's calling power to provide new life opportunities for 1,800 vulnerable boys and girls, aged 5-16, in Colombia's Caribbean coast, who live below the poverty line.

Team Iraq - Team Iraq uses the power of football to bring together young people from all ethnic, religious and social backgrounds, through a number of football-related initiatives with emphasis on creating local youth led programs to help develop and empower and ultimately employ young people.

When submitting an application, the focus needs to be on:

• Innovation: This is the knock-out test; if the work is not innovative the judges will not give it high rankings. The application must describe the systemic innovation that it is focused on. The innovation should be a unique model of change demonstrating a substantial difference from other initiatives in the field with the possibility for large-scale expansion.
  
• Social Impact: It is important that the innovative idea provides a system-changing solution for the field it addresses. Some innovations will have proven success at a small level, while others will have potential to grow, engaging millions of people. Still others will achieve their impact quickly, while some will seed change for the long term. Regardless of the level of demonstrated impact, it is important to see that the innovation has the ability to be applied. Social Impact will be judged by considering the scale strategy, ability to be replicated, and the entrant's ability to formulate a clear "road map" to reaching larger goals.
  
• Sustainability: For an innovation to be truly effective it must have a plan for how it will acquire financial and other bases of support for the long-term. Entries should describe not only how they are currently financing their work, but also how they plan to finance their work in the future. The most successful entrants go beyond discussing whether or not they will charge for services and describe a business plan. They should also demonstrate that they have strong partnerships and support networks to address an on-going need, and to aid in scalability and the maintenance of a clear financial strategy.
  

Additionally, it is important that the application is written well, using straight forward and clear language. Applications can be submitted in English, Spanish, French, or Portuguese.

Please complete the entire entry form http://www.changemakers.com/en-us/node/80898/edit
and submit by June 11, 2010, 5PM US EST. All decisions of the judges will be final.

Fútbol con Corazón

On May 11^th, two innovators who are already affecting social change through football won our early entry prize: One of those entries is called Fútbol con Corazón. Colombia Fútbol Con Corazón is a grass-roots social change model that utilizes soccer's calling power to provide new life opportunities for 1,800 vulnerable boys and girls, aged 5-16, in Colombia's Caribbean coast, who live below the poverty line.

Here's their story

The cement on the perimeter of the playground was still fresh when children began streaming out of nearby dwellings. Word had gotten out that a swing-and-slide set was being installed at "the construction site," and the kids could wait no longer. Within minutes, youngsters of all ages and sizes surrounded the area, eager to test the new equipment. Workers had difficulty keeping them at bay, a rush of energy and euphoria overcoming the site. When the green light was given, no fewer than 60 children lined up for a turn at the modest slide and swings.

This telling scene is taking place days before the inauguration of the fifth program site of "Fútbol con Corazón." The Galapa project encompasses a regulation soccer field, a mini-field, a kiosk, the playground, and a building housing a kitchen, dining hall, classroom space, and bathrooms. Here, the 450 children enrolled in Fútbol con Corazon will participate in "soccer for peace" training and hands-on values workshops, and will eat balanced meals while learning proper nutrition habits. Their families will take advantage of periodic workshops, community-wide tournaments, health fairs, and counselling. Kids ages 5-16 will have a safe haven during their time away from school.

Yet now all that matters is the swing set, evidence that "Futbol con Corazon" augurs hope for the neighbourhood.

Carruajes is a barrio of nearly 2,000 in the municipality of Galapa, south of Barranquilla, Colombia. The youth population totals over 900. Carruajes has never had a playground, let alone a modern building. Many of its homes lack proper sewage systems and electricity. In short, progress has not yet come to this isolated corner of Galapa. Poverty, combined with the lack of mentors and excessive free time, creates a high-risk environment for the children.

Fútbol con Corazón sought to fill this void in structured extra-curricular programs by partnering with local business, the federal government, and municipal leadership to identify a site and obtain funding for the project. In addition, FCC teamed up with nutrition specialist Fundación Nutrir, a full partner in running the site. A "socialization" process ensured buy-in from local education and neighbourhood leadership.

On February 20th, Galapa came out to celebrate the opening of its very own site. Activities are fully underway. Thus, the hope to change the world, one goal at a time, has begun in Carruajes.

Changing Lives Through Football

Nike and Ashoka's Changemakers have teamed up to demonstrate that football can be more than just a game – it can be a forum for empowering youth, strengthening communities, boosting development and scoring actionable change. Changing Lives Through Football emphasizes innovative solutions that use football's collaborative powers to:

• Unleash young people's potential through programs that empower them and activate their participation in civic affairs
  
• Develop ground-breaking initiatives that use football for developmental education
  
• Develop ground-breaking initiatives that improve health awareness and practices, and strengthening communities
  
• Amplify social change globally through football-based programs
  
• Fight effectively against HIV/AIDS
  

The Changing Lives Through Football competition is open to all individuals and organizations (charitable organizations, private companies, or public entities) from all countries. The scope of the competition is to identify innovative solutions that use football to strengthen community, accelerate development and drive social change. The winners of this competition will be those entries that show true innovation, prove they will deliver real and long term positive social impact, and prove that their business models are sustainable.

Got a proposal for sparking change through football? Go to http://www.changemakers.com/football to submit an entry, or recommend innovators whose efforts inspire you.
 There will be 3 global winners, with the winner receiving $30,000 and 3 regional winners with the winners each receiving $10,000. For information on guidelines, criteria and prizes go to http://www.changemakers.com/en-us/football. Timescales for submissions and voting are listed below.

1. Online competition submissions are accepted until June 11, 2010 at 5PM US EST
   
2. Online Review and Judging, June 11 – July 26, 2010
   
3. Voting, July 27 – August 18, 2010
   
4. Global and Regional Winners Announced– August 25, 2010
   

On May 11^th, two innovators who are already affecting social change through football won our early entry prize:

1. Fútbol con Corazón – Colombia Fútbol Con Corazón is a grass-roots social change model that utilizes soccer's calling power to provide new life opportunities for 1,800 vulnerable boys and girls, aged 5-16, in Colombia's Caribbean coast, who live below the poverty line. Please see this special report by ESPN about their social impact through soccer. This extra-curricular holistic program focuses on three areas:
   
   • Athletic training using the "soccer for peace" methodology
     
   • Values-based experiential workshops focusing on gender, conflict resolution, and tolerance among other crucial values
     
   • Well balanced nutrition
   
   
2. Team Iraq - Iraq is living through a period of violent ethnic and religious conflict. Many of its young population, 60% of Iraqis are under 25, lack positive opportunities. Yet research and experience shows that to prevent future violence and extremism, young minds need to be nurtured towards a positive role in civil society. Team Iraq has begun to turn this situation around. It uses the power of football to bring together young people from all ethnic, religious and social backgrounds, through a number of football-related initiatives with emphasis on creating local youth led programs to help develop and empower and ultimately employ young people.