Congratulations 2021 Changemaker Challenge Finalists!

Get your ticket to see who will win up to $35,000 at the virtual live event Nov. 9

The Women's Giving Circle of Howard County, Horizon Foundation, United Way of Central Maryland, and the Community Foundation of Howard County are thrilled to announce the finalists for the 2021 Changemaker Challenge! These 10 finalists will compete for the chance win up to $35,000 to bring their big ideas to life! Get your FREE ticket today to watch them Nov. 9 at the Changemaker Challenge live virtual event.

Meet the finalists and their big ideas for social change in Howard County:
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• The 3rd – Create a space in downtown Columbia that brings the community together. The space melds live/work elements all in one space and is run by, supplied by, and incubates women of color entrepreneurs.
• 4Girls2STEM – Launch a STEM program for girls of color in Howard County.
• Alston for Athletes – Provide Youth Mental Health First Aid Training to athletic directors, coaches and trainers in Howard County.
• The Community Ecology Institute – Create a Nourishing Gardens initiative that will transform lawns throughout Howard County into ecologically beneficial food growing spaces. The program will offer job skills training and work opportunities, increase the local supply of fresh, healthy produce and seek to get it to those in greatest need, improve the ecosystem, and provide community engagement and education opportunities.
• Howard County Lynching Truth & Reconciliation, Inc. – Create an interactive, web based platform to assist with educating the community about our history, which impacts us all today.
• HoCo Pirate Adventures, Inc – Eliminate economic and transportation barriers by creating a free app that will guide residents on pirate-themed scavenger hunts in parks throughout Howard County. Hunts are targeted to kids/families and are intended to have a positive impact on the mental and physical health of families.
• Oakland Mills Online – Launch an in-school speaker series at Oakland Mills High School that exposes students to real-world work and life experiences.
• Kits to Heart – Improve the mental and emotional well-being of those affected by cancer through an innovative art therapy program by partnering with the Howard County Arts Council to offer free art classes and workshops for the cancer community.
• Upcycled, Inc. – Upgrade the recycling center to simplify the “Upcycling” process and facilitate an interactive educational area.
• Howard County Autism Society – Support the Autism Hiring Program, an innovation that advances workplace neurodiversity and acceptance, connecting businesses to an untapped workforce and targeting jobseekers not supported by existing systems.

A panel of judges will select three winners to receive grants totaling $60,000. All finalists will be eligible for a grant of either $25,000, $15,000, a $10,000 grant for an initiative that supports women and girls in Howard County and event attendees will select the winner of the audience choice award of an additional $10,000.

Join us for the live virtual event on November 9 to get inspired and learn more about these innovative ideas to make our community a better place!

Hosted by the Horizon Foundation, United Way of Central Maryland, the Women's Giving Circle of Howard County and the Community Foundation of Howard County, the Changemaker Challenge is an event focused on sparking innovation and fresh thinking to address some of Howard County’s most pressing issues.