supporting solutions for adolescent health and well-being

At Breakthrough Accelerator, we use human-centered design to support teams as they test, refine, and scale youth-centered innovations that promote adolescent health and well-being, with the goal of advancing sexual and reproductive health.

We are looking for teams who are enthusiastic, have an innovative model, and are ready to grow their innovation.

in our 10-month accelerator program, your team will:

Receive $125,000 to develop, advance, and grow your innovation and travel to in-person events.

Receive tailored guidance and support through 1:1 coaching sessions.

Expand knowledge and skills in testing your innovation with end users, measuring the impact of your innovation, and growing and sustaining your innovation.

Access resources and tools developed and curated for you.

Participate in peer learning opportunities with a cohort of like-minded individuals.

Attend two in-person workshops and learn, share, and grow with your cohort.

Showcase your work at a culminating in-person event called Demo Day—held both in person and virtually—to present your innovation to potential investors/funders and the public.

Join the Breakthrough Alumni network to continue supporting and learning from each other and future cohorts.

what types of innovations are we looking for?

We welcome a wide variety of innovations—including programs, apps, services, curricula, websites, and products—designed to support adolescent health and well-being, with the goal of advancing sexual and reproductive health. While innovations can take any form, we’re looking for those that have moved beyond the brainstorming and ideation stage. This means your innovation should be something that can be demonstrated and shared. It should also have been designed with end users and reflect their input and feedback. You should have some indication through informal or formal feedback that your end users are interested in the innovation.

is the Breakthrough Accelerator right for you?

Do you have a passion for supporting better adolescent sexual and reproductive health?
Do you have a preliminary model of your innovation?
Have you designed or gathered feedback from your intended audience on your current innovation?
Are you comfortable with an iterative process of designing, testing, refining, and receiving feedback?
Are you interested in personalized coaching and a supportive cohort experience?
Are you looking to move your innovation to the next level?

about us

Breakthrough Accelerator is led by Child Trends and supported by Power to Decide and OkaySo. As a team, we create and support solutions or innovations to promote adolescent health and well-being, with the goal of advancing sexual and reproductive health. Before creating Breakthrough, we have helped other innovators develop solutions that are currently widely commercially available, and have been selected for rigorous evaluation funding, including awards from the Office of Population Affairs’ Tier 2 program and the Administration for Children and Families’ Personal Responsibility Education Program – Innovative Strategies (PREIS). Innovators we’ve supported have gone on to raise funds from venture capitalists and private foundations and been featured in the media. Most importantly, our innovators positively impact the lives of thousands of young people every single day.

130+years of experience in program evaluation

60+years of experience in innovation

200+

years of experience in adolescent sexual and reproductive health

175+

publications related to this work