The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child affirms every child’s right to the highest attainable standard of health and living conditions that support mental and emotional development. Promoting children and youth mental health is also central to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3.
However, mental health challenges among children and young people are increasing worldwide. Around one in seven adolescents experience a condition such as anxiety or depression, yet access to support, safe spaces and reliable information remains limited (read more in the latest KidsRights Index 2025 Report on Mental Health). As the mental health crisis deepens, strengthening resilience must go hand in hand with meaningful child and youth participation, ensuring that children and young people, especially those in vulnerable situations, can help shape decisions that affect them.
No structural changes can be implemented if the environment children and youth are part of is not considered. Without a supportive environment, at home, at school, in the neighbourhood, or online, children and young people cannot feel safe, protect their mental health, or develop skills and resilience. They can only grow when that environment is also solid. As a result of that, we expect projects funded in this call to also work with and for parents, caregivers, support figures, teachers, and local communities.
This is why we are calling on State of Youth Chapters to act! We want to enable children and young people to make a difference themselves: by being heard, acting and working together. This Changemaking Call is financially supported by Kinderpostzegels.
State of Youth Chapters may implement activities such as (non-exhaustive list):
- Workshops in schools on emotional regulation, stress management, and recognizing signs of anxiety or depression.
- Training sessions for parents, caregivers, and teachers on how to support children’s and youth mental well-being.
- Creating youth-led safe spaces (offline or online) where children and young people can openly talk about mental health challenges.
- Community awareness campaigns to reduce stigma around mental health among children and young people.
- Art, sports, or creative expression programs that help children and young people process emotions and build resilience.
- Youth-led dialogues with local decision-makers about improving mental health support in schools and communities.
- Development of informational materials (guides, videos, social media content) about mental health resources for young people.
- Organizing community events that promote well-being, inclusion, and social connection among children, youth, and families.
We highly encourage you to involve younger children, up to 12 years old, in your project activities.
To apply, you must:
- Be a registered Chapter in theState of Youth Movement Platformwith a completed profile
- Have a project focus within scope, eligible activities, and a realistic budget as described below
- Have answered theEnd of the Year Membership Survey 2025when you submit your project proposal. Even if you joined the Movement recently (end of 2025 or already now in 2026), we still want to hear from you in the survey!
- Read theChangemaking Call Guidance Booklet:it gives you all the information you need to know before applying.
- Prepare your application: Gather your project information, including a detailed description of activities, expected outcomes, and budget breakdown.
- Submityour application using this link by 28th June 2026 at 23:59 CEST.
Please note that if your Chapter was funded in the last International Children’s Peace Prize Project Theme Fund on Peace and Education, you are not eligible to this call. This is to ensure the highest possible number of different Chapters to be supported by State of Youth.
Why should you apply?
If selected, you will benefit from the following:
- A grant between 500 and 2500 Euros.
- Learning opportunities and sharing moments to connect with the other projects in this call.
- Dedicated monitoring and evaluation support from the State of Youth team.
- Guidance sessions (virtual) for grant management and project implementation.
- Enhanced visibility for your project and State of Youth Chapter through our social media and website.
If you have any questions that are not already included in the Guidance Booklet, reach out to us at action@stateofyouth.org.
Do not miss this opportunity to contribute towards an equitable future for children worldwide!