Individuals eligible to receive the awards will:

• Reside in New York State
• Applicants should be a youth between the ages of 16 to 20 OR a young adult between the ages of 21 to 30
• Identify as having lived experience with systems involvement, e.g. psychiatric label, justice involved, substance use, foster care, unhoused, trauma survivor
• Assume primary responsibility and leadership of the project
• Propose a new idea or a project, or initiative promoting behavioral health equity and wellness in their community or addressing the needs of an existing project/partnerships they are involved for example:
  • Leadership and capacity building strategies e.g. training costs,
  • Local community projects e.g. community gardens, wellness campaigns, public health education, arts campaigns, events,
  • Advocacy campaigns related to policy or systems transformation