Philadelphia-based Lenfest Institute and Temple University team up with the Next Challenge to award up to $40k to student-led media ventures
The Lenfest Institute for Journalism and Temple University’s Klein College of Media and Communication are partnering with Glen Nelson Center to launch the Student Ventures Division of the Next Challenge for Media & Journalism.
The Student Ventures Division supports news and information, civic engagement, and distribution channel media projects created by U.S.-based college and university students. Applications are open at thenextchallenge.com/student-division through Nov. 7.
“This is an unprecedented opportunity to seed media innovation on campuses across the country,” said David Boardman, Dean of the Klein College of Media. “We are excited to discover what students are creating and support the best ideas with mentorship and grants.”
“Several of history’s most consequential digital media companies were launched by entrepreneurs in their teens or twenties — from Apple to Microsoft and from Netscape to Google. We’re pleased to support innovative new ideas in news and journalism, and we look forward to hearing from a new generation of news entrepreneurs and disruptors,” said Lenfest Institute Executive Director & CEO Jim Friedlich.
The Student Ventures Division will showcase and award grants of up to $10,000 to student-led media ventures based in the United States. Finalists will be paired with mentors from the media industry and have the opportunity to participate in free training provided by Next Challenge partners. Division winners are also eligible for a grand prize of up to $30,000.
The Next Challenge is committed to promoting equity in media, embracing the demographic shift occurring in communities across the country and investing in startups with diverse teams. One goal of the competition is that 51% or more of judges, mentors and first-round applicants identify as BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and/or female.
The Next Challenge will conclude with a national showcase event in February 2022, where more than $100,000 in cash grants and other benefits will be awarded to winning companies.