Youth Matter Grants are mini grants given to youth-led projects to build safety, foster supportive youth-adult relationships, and make a difference in the community. Mattering matters! When youth know that they matter to their community, they are less likely to engage in risky, unsafe behaviors, and more likely to display higher levels of connectedness and mental wellbeing.
Creating projects that make a difference: Your proposal must focus on one of three specific themes: wellness, transportation safety, and underage drinking prevention. You will also define the community you wish to impact, and what difference you’d like to make within that group. You must demonstrate a commitment to incorporating best practices for achieving high quality programs. If funded, AYDC will offer training and supports to build a project that will address the above goals and make a difference!
Grant funding limits: Each project is limited to a maximum of $5,000.
Our Focus: Projects are intended to support youth-led initiatives that make a difference in the community. Projects will receive higher scores that involve youth in leadership roles, in decision-making, and project proposal development and implementation.
Applications are currently closed. Please check back this fall for details about the next round of Youth Matter Grants. In the mean time, you can check out our most recent Youth Matter Grant projects down below!
We are looking to support projects that address the following goals:
Youth want to live in a community that is both physically and emotionally safe, allowing them to be themselves.
Youth want to be treated fairly and with respect by adults. Having friendly, supportive, and positive relationships with adults provides the right role models to empower youth.
Youth want to be engaged and make a difference. This may be through providing impactful opportunities and service- or civic-based activities. Meaningful engagement includes opportunities for service- or civic-based activities and involvement in decision-making, leadership, and project implementation.
Theme:
Safe Driving Messages for Youth
Planned Impact:
"Our project empowered youth to make a difference ... They're change-makers!"
Theme:
Safe Driving Messages for Youth
Planned Impact:
This has been a wonderful experience and I'm interested in stretching the boundaries of the types of projects that can be done with the grant.
Theme:
Wellbeing
Planned Impact:
ATMI youth producers led this project from start to finish. We acted as storytellers, troubleshooters and cultural ambassadors.
Theme:
Wellbeing
Planned Impact:
This was the first time Alaska Youth Orchestra's Performing Directors have taken on a wellness project like this, and the experience was exceedingly positive.
Theme:
Wellbeing
Planned Impact:
Youth Vote provided meaningful engagement during the development of this project by including youth in decision-making,leadership, and project implementation. We created peer-education and peer-empowerment resources specifically designed to increase feelings of youth mattering in Anchorage.
Theme:
Wellbeing
Planned Impact:
Our youth leaders helped shape this project from the beginning of the process, starting with developing the grant application and vision for the class
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