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 25 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: Joy in Environmental Justice, Joy in Culture & Identity, Joy Through Sports & Movement
Joy in Environmental Justice
Projects that create joy by caring for the earth, improving local environments, and educating communities about environmental justice and sustainability—while centering Black girls as leaders and change-makers.
Examples:
- Organizing a community or school clean-up day
- Starting a community or school garden
- Creating an environmental awareness campaign led by girls
- Hosting workshops on recycling, climate action, or sustainability
- Creating art, videos, or social media content about environmental justice
- Advocating for cleaner, safer spaces in your neighborhood
Joy in Culture & Identity
Projects that celebrate Black girlhood through heritage, history, traditions, storytelling, and pride in cultural identity.
Examples:
- Cultural storytelling or oral history projects
- Celebrating local Black women and girl leaders
- Hosting a cultural event, showcase, or exhibit
- Creating art, media, or content inspired by Black history or traditions
- Intergenerational projects connecting girls with elders
- Social media or digital series honoring Black culture and identity
Joy Through Sports & Movement
Projects that promote joy, confidence, teamwork, and leadership through sports, physical activity, and movement-based experiences.
Examples:
- Hosting a girls’ sports clinic or skills workshop
- Organizing a dance, cheer, step, or double dutch program
- Creating a girls’ game day, tournament, or movement challenge
- Encouraging girls’ participation in school or community sports
- Starting a recreational team or intramural league
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:
Questions:
For question, email grants@southernblackgirls.org
