Innovative Sex Ed Series Announces Grantees of Global Impact Awards
For the second year in a row, AMAZE.org announces awards totalling $497,790 USD that will support seven organizations deliver AMAZE animated videos to their region and increase access to free sexual health information and resources
Washington, D.C. – AMAZE.org, a project which harnesses the power of digital media to provide young adolescents around the globe with free access to medically accurate, age-appropriate, affirming, and honest sex education, today announced seven organizations as the recipients of $497,790 USD in Global Impact Awards to support the organizations as they bring AMAZE to their region.
The Global Impact Awards support organizations in adapting, developing new, and disseminating AMAZE videos — animated sex education videos that teach kids about puberty, healthy relationships, development, sexuality, and how to prevent STIs, including HIV, unintended pregnancy, and sexual violence.
Forty-five organizations applied for the Global Impact Awards: including 10 based in sub-Saharan Africa; 7 in East Asia; 11 in South Asia; 2 in Europe; 9 in Latin America and the Caribbean; 3 in the Middle East and North Africa; and 1 in the Pacific region.
AMAZE convened a Review Committee who met to recommend recipients of Global Impact Awards. The committee was comprised of sexual and reproductive health and rights experts including Rebecka Lundgren (Georgetown University’s Institute for Reproductive Health), Tamara Kreinin (Packard Foundation), Christine Clark (Hewlett Foundation), Dr. Yvette Efevbera (Gates Foundation), Mimi Melles-Brewer (PMNCH/World Health Organization), and Fadekemi Akinfaderin (Fòs Feminista).
AMAZE was created by a coalition of sex education experts, and since launch, videos have been used in 180 countries. The AMAZE team works to expand AMAZE’s reach internationally through partnerships with youth-led organizations, non-governmental organizations, multilateral agencies, and Ministries of Education and Health around the world to translate, adapt, and create new AMAZE videos.
“What makes AMAZE unique is the combination of sexuality education expertise with the creativity of animators to create health information that’s informative, fun, affirming, as well as entertaining,” said Nicole Cheetham, Director of Advocates for Youth’s International Youth Health and Rights Division, an expert in global sexuality education efforts and a team member on AMAZE. “The winning organizations are committed to sexuality education and to adapting AMAZE videos and resources to their local contexts while leveraging existing programming and expertise in order to engage and reach young people with this critical information while supporting teachers and parents. . We’re thrilled to welcome these organizations to the AMAZE family.”
Groups awarded funding include:
- Association HERA XXI (Georgia)
- Association Togolaise pour le Bien-Etre Familial (Togo)
- Development Consortium (India)
- Ministerio de Educación de Ecuador (Ecuador)
- Reproductive Health Association of Cambodia (Cambodia)
- SALAMA- The Lebanese Association for Family Health (Lebanon)
- Youth Development Labs (YLabs) (Rwanda)