Here Comes the Fun Challenge: RFP Open Until May 9, 2025

Together with our friends at Young Futures, and with support from Niantic, Pivotal and Susan Crown Exchange, the Joan Ganz Cooney Center is thrilled to announce that the Here Comes the Fun Challenge, a $1M funding initiative designed to promote the well-being of pre-teens and teens through playful digital experiences is now open for applications!

From video games to creative coding, digital play fosters creativity, connection, and emotional resilience—yet too few solutions prioritize youth wellbeing. This challenge seeks to change that by funding innovative, youth-centered solutions that:

• Align with the Responsible Innovation in Technology for Children (RITEC) research-backed well-being outcomes (safety, autonomy, relationships, and more)
•  Embrace the Four Freedoms of Play: freedom to fail, experiment, embody identity, and engage with effort
• Are co-created with teens to meet their developmental needs

Grants of up to $100,000 will be awarded to up to 10 organizations (nonprofits, including fiscally sponsored projects) with standout ideas. Grantees will also join the Young Futures Academy, a five-month program to scale their impact.

Key Dates:

📅 Applications Open: April 23 – May 9, 2025
💡 Info Session: May 1, 2025 (Register here)

Eligible solutions may include:

🎮 Games or digital experiences designed for well-being
🛠️ Toolkits fostering inclusive, safe play
🤝 Programs bridging intergenerational or peer connections
⏱️ Tools promoting healthy digital habits

Out of scope: Workforce development, early-stage research, or classroom-focused ed-tech. 

Ready to bring more play into teens’ digital lives?

👉 Review the RFP | Apply now | Join the info session