The Young Men at Risk: Transforming the Power of a Generation global competition, hosted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Ashoka’s Changemakers.net, has uncovered some of the most innovative ideas for helping young men overcome risks including violence, crime, dropping out of school, unemployment, addiction, and issues such as personal accountability, mental health, and self-image.

More than 150 organizations from around the world have submitted more than 300 entries with a rich array of opportunities and outside-the-box solutions that help young men who are facing a steep uphill climb to adulthood. These solutions include opportunities to prepare for long-term success by gaining entrepreneurial and other life skills, mentoring programs that recruit Latino and Native American elders to work with young men in their own communities and help them appreciate their culture, and access to a wide array of fields such as aviation, sports and entertainment management, and the arts including theater design, songwriting, video production, and mythological storytelling.

Competition entrants and others who are active in the field are engaging in a lively online discussion on Changemakers.net. They have posted more than 800 comments that explore, critique, and refine the proposed solutions before the competition winners are selected by a panel of judges and popular online voting.

RWJF and Changemakers are demonstrating how this type of online collaboration generates the new energy required to tackle entrenched problems facing young men at risk. This online competition is revealing emerging ideas and organizations that will provide a vehicle for young men to build a brighter future.

Voting for the winners begins on Feb. 26. To learn more and participate in the competition, visit www.changemakers.net.