What am I applying for? Who can apply? What do we mean by groups? How much money do I receive? What things do Dare to Dream awards fund? What things do Dare to Dream awards NOT fund? How do I apply? When is the deadline? How will my application be judged? What are some examples of mental health awareness projects? Who should my mentor be? What if I have an idea for a project, but I don’t have a mentor? What happens when my project is accepted?
What am I applying for?
The Dare to Dream Program provides funding for individuals or groups of youth (18 years of age and under) to get involved in mental health awareness activities. If you can come up with a creative idea for a project, then we want to support you to make this happen.
Who can apply to the Dare to Dream Program?
You can apply if:
- You are 18 years of age and under
- You live in Ontario
- You are attending high school (mainstream or alternative) or you can demonstrate a link to another formal agency (i.e., youth centre, community resource centre, youth services organization, mental health centre) that will oversee the award.
- You can establish a link with a mentor who is experienced in child and youth mental health.
- You can propose a project that meets our criteria and conditions.
This applies to both individual and group applications.
What do we mean by groups?
Groups are defined as three or more youth who plan to work together with a mentor to develop a project.
- Groups may include a few youth who are a little older than 18 as long as the majority of the group members are 18 and under.
- If one or two group members do not live in Ontario, the sponsoring organization must be based in Ontario. No matter who is in a group, in order to be funded the project must have an impact on child and youth mental health in Ontario.
Examples include a group of students working on a project under the direction of a teacher, a youth group working on a project under the direction of a counsellor or social worker, or a group of friends working on a project under the direction of someone who is experienced in child and youth mental health.
How much money do I receive?
Individual Awards
Successful applicants are awarded up to $1000 to do a project that promotes mental health awareness. This money is intended to help cover project expenses.
If they choose, applicants applying for an individual award may request an honorarium of up to $200 from that $1000 as a "thank you" for all their hard work and commitment, or, if they prefer, they may use the full amount of $1000 to fund their project. Applicants are asked to indicate whether or not they would like an honorarium in the Project Budget section of the Dare to Dream application form. Please note that this is not a scholarship.
Group Awards
Successful groups will be awarded up to $5,000 to do a project that promotes mental health awareness. This money is intended to help cover the group’s project expenses. If they choose, groups may request an honorarium of up to $200 in total from that $5000 as a "thank you" for all their hard work and commitment, or, if they prefer, they may use the full amount of $5000 to fund their project. Groups are asked to indicate whether or not they would like an honorarium in the Project Budget section of the Dare to Dream application form.
What things do Dare to Dream awards fund?
- Supplies needed to bring a project to life (i.e. art supplies, production costs, food at events, prizes, equipment rentals, printing costs for promotional materials etc.).
- Honoraria for guest speakers at events (if they are not donating their time).
- The cost of training that is related to the project.
- For group applications from community youth-serving organizations, up to $800 of the budget may be allotted for additional staff needed to oversee a Dare to Dream project
What do Dare to Dream awards NOT fund?
- Capital expenses (i.e. heating, rent, hydro, phones, cameras, video cameras, photocopiers etc.).
- Administration costs.
- Salaries.
- Any budget items that appear to be inflated.
Note: It is important that applicants demonstrate fiscal responsibility by looking for in-kind contributions and donations and by looking for the most economical quotes where costs are incurred.
How do I apply?
Dare to Dream Application Forms and other necessary documents are available in the Individual and Group application sections. You must complete the form and all required information and send it to us before the deadline. Instructions on how to do this can be found in each of these sections.
When is the deadline?
For the next competition, we must receive your application package at the office by 4:00pm on March 31, 2009. We will not accept late or email applications!!! Please be sure to leave enough time for the mail system to deliver your application. We suggest mailing the full application at least 1 week before the deadline.
How will my application be judged?
Your project will be reviewed and judged by a panel of youth called the Dare to Dream Review Team. The review team uses a points system to review and rate your project.
What are some examples of mental health awareness projects?
Visit our Successful Projects section to check out some of the awesome Dare to Dream projects that have been developed by youth like you. Remember, though, creativity is the key! We want new ideas rather than things that you or others have done before. Put on your “Creative Hat” - the possibilities are endless…
Who should my mentor be?
A mentor must be someone who is experienced, directly or indirectly, in child and youth mental health. Examples of professionals working in this area include:
| Psychologists | Psychiatrists | Child and Youth Workers |
| Developmental Service Workers | Social Workers | Youth counsellors |
| Guidance counsellors | Teachers | Occupational Therapists |
...and others!
What if I have an idea for a project, but I don’t have a mentor?
If you have an idea for a project, but don’t have a mentor, we will help you. Please contact the Centre for information on how to link up with a mentor in your area.
What happens when my project application is accepted?
We will let you know whether or not your project has been successful about 5-6 weeks after the competition deadline.
If your project meets all the criteria and is accepted without any conditions, you will receive a memorandum of agreement that is to be signed by the executive officer of the organization that will be responsible for managing your funding (probably the organization that your mentor works for). Once we received this back from you, the money will be sent to the executive officer and you can then begin your project.
Some projects are accepted with conditions. This means there are some details that need to be addressed before your project can be funded. In this case, you will be sent a letter outlining the changes that need to be made. Once you confirm this has been done, the memorandum of agreement will be mailed to the executive officer for review and signing.
When your project is finished, you are required to submit a Final Report about your project and how it went (i.e. how you achieved your goals, how it was successful, etc.). This is a very important part of your project. If this is not completed, the executive officer will be asked to return the award to the Centre.
So you don’t feel overwhelmed at the end of your project term, it’s a good idea to print out your Final Report Template right at the beginning and collect information as you go along. Final Report Templates can be downloaded in the Individual and Group application sections.
In addition to sending us your Final Report and Budget Summary, we also need promotional materials to help us showcase your project on our website. So don’t forget to take lots of pictures and collect all kinds of visuals so that you can send them to us.
