Black Girl Joy Challenge
Where Joy Becomes a Movement: Supporting Young Changemakers Across the South
Southern Black Girls and Women’s Consortium’s #BlackGirlJoyChallenge welcomes Black girls, young women, femme identifying youth and youth from marginalized communities ages 13-24 who can describe their ideas for spreading JOY with their friends, families, and communities to apply for a monetary challenge award of $550 each. Black Girl Joy Challenge winners must complete their JOY projects in allotted time and allow SBGWC the opportunity to showcase them and what brings them joy!
We’re looking for 75 winners who will bring their dreams to life through creative and impactful projects.
Eligibility:
- Must be a Black, girl, young woman, femme identifying youth or from a marginalized community to apply
- Must be between the ages of 13-24
- Must live in one of 13 Southern states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, or West Virginia
Categories
Participants can compete in one of the following categories: Narrative Change, STEM, Social Justice
Narrative Change Examples:
- Digital Storytelling Series: Videos or social media posts sharing stories celebrating Black girlhood.
- Photography Project: Images capturing the strength, creativity, and joy of Black girls.
- Mini Documentary: Short films telling compelling stories about Black girls’ experiences and accomplishments.
STEM Examples:
- Bridging the Digital Divide: Programs providing tech access to underserved communities.
- Awareness of New Technologies: Educate peers or community about emerging tools and innovations.
- Leveraging Technology for Community Benefit: Use tech creatively to solve local problems.
- Hands-On Tech Experiences: Workshops, coding labs, or maker spaces for direct tech engagement.
Social Justice Examples:
- Advocacy Campaigns: Raise awareness about issues affecting Black girls and women.
- Promoting Civic Engagement: Encourage participation in civic processes, volunteering, or policy discussions.
- Addressing Systemic Racism: Programs that educate, challenge, or disrupt inequitable systems.
- Community Organizing: Mobilize peers and community members for justice, equity, and inclusion.
What You’ll Submit:
- Your joyful idea – What are you planning? What will it look like?
- How it spreads joy – Why this idea? Who does it uplift? What will it shift?
- A clear impact statement – What difference will it make?
- A simple budget – How will you use the $550 to bring this idea to life?
- Your commitment – You’ll complete your project within one month of receiving funds.
Special Opportunity:
We will select one winner from each category to capture and film their journey during this process. Each of these three winners will receive $550 to complete their project!
Apply
The application opens Monday, October 27, 2025 at 9am EST and closes Monday, November 10, 2025.
Information Sessions:
We are hosting an information session to provide an overview of the application and process. This session will equip you with the tools and information necessary to guide you through the application process and answer any questions you may have. Attendance at these sessions is not required.
To support participants, we’ll host two live workshops. Register:
Tuesday, November 4, 2025, at 8:00 PM ET
Wednesday, November 5, 2025, at 8:00 PM ET
Questions:
For question, email grants@southernblackgirls.org
