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Request for proposals for Transition to Scale innovations!
Grand Challenges Canada, through the Being Initiative, is investing in ready-to-scale innovations that address the root causes of young people’s distress before they escalate, strengthening the environments where they live,…
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Changement de pouvoir dans la recherche sur la santé mentale des jeunes : Leçons clés tirées par des chercheurs internationaux lors de la conférence de l'IAYMH
Les écosystèmes de santé mentale, qui englobent à la fois les systèmes formels (comme les politiques) et les relations informelles (comme les interactions communautaires), jouent un rôle crucial dans le soutien au bien-être de la population. Lors de la 7e édition de l'Association internationale...
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Scaling Innovative Solutions for Children’s and Adolescents’ Mental Health
Last November, Being and Grand Challenges Canada participated in the first-ever Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children in Colombia. Together with our incredible partners—The Early Childhood Development Action…
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In Colombia, around 25% of teenagers face family dysfunction, often rooted in the country’s history of armed conflict, poverty, displacement, and intergenerational trauma. These systemic issues have weakened family structures and contributed to strained relationships, emotional invalidation, poor communication, and in some cases, violence within households. In this context, many young people experience significant mental health challenges, including depression, trauma, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts.
National policies have increasingly recognized the importance of youth mental health and wellbeing, emphasizing the role of families and schools as key environments for support. Programs aimed at promoting nurturing relationships and safe spaces for young people have gained momentum, creating a timely opportunity to test and scale innovative family based solutions.

What we’re funding in Colombia
Proof-of-concept funding:
Proof-of-concept (POC) funding up to $250,000 CAD will be awarded to early-stage projects that can implement, test and refine solutions to country-specific personal, social, and/or environmental factors impacting young people’s mental health and wellbeing in one of the 12 countries.
In Colombia, we seek bold Proof-of-Concept ideas to strengthen family functioning. These innovative solutions should focus on addressing family conflict or violence for young people and their parents/caregivers
Transition-to-scale funding:
Transition-to-scale (TTS) funding between $300,000 CAD and $1,500,000 CAD will be awarded to support tested mental health promotion and prevention approaches that align with country-specific priorities along their scaling journey to help catalyze their sustainability and impact.
In Colombia, we seek bold Transition-to-Scale ideas to strengthen family functioning. These innovative solutions should focus on addressing family conflict or violence for young people and their parents/caregivers
Ecosystem catalyst funding:
Ecosystem catalyst (EC) funding between $200,000 CAD and $300,000 CAD will be awarded to organizations that can address priority barriers to scale, such as legislation, evidence, coordination, and mobilize demand to help mental health initiatives succeed and grow in one of 12 priority countries.
In Colombia, we’re funding EC projects that support implementation and accountability mechanisms for national youth mental health policies that are related to environments where youth spend time, such as schools and community settings.
Funded Innovations

Mindful Ecosystem: Tools for Youth Wellbeing and Mental Health
Organisation de mise en œuvre : AFSEC
Type de projet : Ecosystem Catalyst Grant
Lieu : Colombie
Status: Funded

Bailemos Juntos Medellín
Organisation de mise en œuvre : Fundación Timbalé
Type de projet : Proof-of-concept
Lieu : Medellín, Colombia
Thematic Area(s): Arts, Games
Status: Funded

Let’s play for Baranoa
Organisation de mise en œuvre : Fútbol con Corazón (FCC)
Type de projet : Proof-of-concept
Lieu : Barranquilla, Colombia
Thematic Area(s): Sports, Peer-based
Status: Funded

RISE
Organisation de mise en œuvre : IsraAID Colombia
Type de projet : Proof-of-concept
Lieu : Barranquilla, Colombia
Thematic Area(s): Digital
Status: Funded

Flori — connecting social and emotional learning between classrooms and homes in Latin America
Organisation de mise en œuvre : Coschool
Type de projet : Démonstration de principe
Lieu : Colombie
Thematic Area(s): Digital
Status: Funded

KAMALEÓN: My True Story
Organisation de mise en œuvre : La Mixera Fund
Type de projet : Démonstration de principe
Lieu : Cauca, Magdalena, Guajira, Antioquia, Chocó, and Boyacá, Colombia
Thematic Area(s): Arts, Storytelling
Status: Funded






