Press Release: Belmont University Launches $1M Reconstruct Thriving Youth Challenge
Belmont University’s Innovation Labs has launched the $1 million Reconstruct Thriving Youth Challenge, a statewide initiative designed to find, fund and scale solutions that help young people transition successfully from foster care to adulthood across Tennessee.
Applications are open and will close on January 30, 2026.
Each year, youth aging out of foster care face significant barriers to stability. Research shows that up to 80 percent experience homelessness, addiction or incarceration within three years of leaving care.
The Reconstruct Thriving Youth Challenge addresses this urgent need through a venture philanthropy model, investing in nonprofit and for profit solutions that can be implemented statewide.
The Challenge Focus
The challenge seeks solutions in three interconnected areas.
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Ensuring every young person has at least one reliable adult to provide long term support through life’s transitions and crises.
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Expanding access to housing options, one of the strongest predictors of post care stability.
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Creating trauma informed, continuous and culturally responsive support beyond age 18 or 21.
Funding and Partnerships
Selected teams will receive seed funding and strategic advisory support to help scale their solutions in Tennessee. A total of $100,000 in funding will be awarded through the challenge.
The initiative is executed in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, the Governor’s Faith Based and Community Initiative, Every Child TN, Access Ventures and Essential Innovation.
“Young people aging out of foster care deserve a launchpad, not a cliff.”
—Courtney Matthews, Director of Independent Living for Tennessee Department of Children’s Services