Articles from Young Futures

Today, Young Futures (YF) launched Groundwork, a $15 million, three-year initiative that will support work across the United States and United Kingdom to protect and strengthen the human capacities young people need as artificial intelligence reshapes how they learn, make decisions and understand themselves.

Next week, Young Futures will host its inaugural Block Party, a first-of-its-kind gathering bringing together the leaders, organizations and ideas shaping the future of youth wellbeing in a tech-filled world. Taking place May 13–14, 2026, at Arlyn Studios and Distribution Hall in Austin, Texas, the Young Futures Block Party will offer two days of celebration, storytelling and connection designed to strengthen the growing movement for young people navigating life online and off.

Teens today are figuring out who they are in digital spaces that are actively working against them. Algorithms push rigid gender expectations whether young people seek them out or not, platforms reward conformity and penalize taking up space and the same corners of the internet where young people find their people are often the ones most aggressively telling them who to be.

As artificial intelligence reshapes how young people learn, create and connect, Young Futures today announced nearly $1.4M in funding for 16 nonprofits building youth-centered solutions at the intersection of AI and adolescent wellbeing.

This week, Young Futures announced the launch of the “Oops!…AI Did It Again” Challenge, a national funding call for nonprofit organizations pursuing innovative solutions that increase youth agency in an AI-driven world. The challenge addresses the urgent need to equip young people with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to navigate AI, which is rapidly reshaping their learning, creativity, relationships, and mental health.

Young Futures, a non-profit dedicated to making the digital world an easier place to grow up, today announced the launch of Under Pressure: a funding challenge calling for solutions that alleviate the pressures teens and preteens face in navigating today's tech-driven world. In collaboration with the Center for Digital Thriving (CDT), a research and innovation center based at Project Zero at Harvard Graduate School of Education, this $1 million open funding call seeks to fund and provide catalytic support for 10 solutions that address digital tension and help young people thrive. Young Futures is seed-funded by Pivotal Ventures, Susan Crown Exchange, and The Goodness Web.

Young Futures, a new non-profit on a mission to make the digital world an easier place to grow up, today announced the 10 non-profits who will participate in the inaugural Young Futures (YF) Innovators Cohort. Chosen from nearly 200 applicants, the winners of The Lonely Hearts Club $1 million funding challenge represent a breadth of solutions championing the protective impact of social connection and belonging for today’s youth. To accelerate and amplify the application of evidence-based strategies, Young Futures partnered with the Foundation for Social Connection. Young Futures is seed-funded by Pivotal Ventures, Susan Crown Exchange, and The Goodness Web.

Young Futures, a new non-profit on a mission to make the digital world an easier place to grow up, today announced the launch of The Lonely Hearts Club: a funding challenge to promote social connection, teen belonging, and wellbeing in a tech-driven world. Galvanized by the work of the U.S. Surgeon General, and in partnership with the Foundation for Social Connection, the $1 million commitment is focused on supporting early-stage non-profits with solutions that help young people, together with their caregivers, stay centered on healthy connections. Young Futures is seed-funded by Pivotal Ventures, Susan Crown Exchange, and The Goodness Web.