We know that youth may not be the primary or direct end user of some innovations, but all the innovations are intended to have an impact on young people’s well-being. Therefore, to ensure the innovations are relevant and impactful, we are looking for teams committed to centering the voices and experiences of young people. This means teams must actively engage young people throughout their time with Breakthrough. As part of this commitment, teams are required to allocate funds in their budget to fairly compensate young people for their time and expertise.

If selected, you’ll be required to attend three in-person events: 

• Lab 1: September 9-11, 2025 (Location TBD) 

• Lab 2: January 27-29, 2026 (Location TBD) 

• Demo Day: May 19-20, 2026 (Location TBD) 

Teams may need to travel the day before or after each event to ensure full participation. Additionally, there will be virtual trainings and coaching sessions throughout the program, with dates provided during onboarding. 

Attendance is required at the in-person workshops. The Breakthrough team intentionally curates these workshops to be engaging, practice-based, and productive, so that teams walk away better equipped to move their innovations forward.

No, Breakthrough doesn’t require you to work on your innovation full-time. However, it’s important to know that moving your innovation forward will take time outside of the scheduled Breakthrough activities. It’s important that your team members are committed to the work and have the capacity to actively participate and work on your innovation outside of required Breakthrough events. Having the right people on board who are dedicated to the success of the innovation will make it easier to stay on track and get the most out of the experience!

No. Teams should plan to use the $125,000 funding that they receive to cover the costs of travel (transportation, accommodation, and other costs associated with traveling) to attend all in-person events.

Yes. Each team must have a fiscal sponsor that is a legally recognized entity (e.g., non-profit, school, university, hospital, or government agency). The sponsoring organization must be able to 1) receive and manage funds from the Breakthrough Accelerator and 2) be responsible for financial reporting and accountability related to the funds.

If your team is selected, Breakthrough Accelerator will provide funding to your organization or fiscal sponsor. To facilitate this, your organization or fiscal sponsor will need to complete certain documents and provide required materials, such as a W-9 and ACH form. Breakthrough staff will guide you through the process and share more information at that time.

We are requiring teams to share a budget with us to help facilitate timely contracting and fund allocation for teams that are officially selected to join Breakthrough. Please follow the instructions and use the budget template provided. If you still have questions after carefully reading the instructions, please reach out to us at breakthroughaccelerator@childtrends.org.

Teams that participate in Breakthrough cannot apply to the immediate subsequent cohort. However, they may be eligible to apply for later cohorts as long as they meet the eligibility criteria at that time. Teams are also welcome to apply to other innovation hubs as appropriate (In/Tend, youthink, Launch, TISH, and RYSE) in the OPA network and stay connected with us for ongoing opportunities and support. 

Email us at BreakthroughAccelerator@childtrends.org and we will get back to you within 3-5 business days. If you have a specific question about the application process or your application, please put “BAH App Question” in the subject line.