YAC Grant Awardees - Fall 2022

Members of the KCF Youth Advisory Council, with grantee organization unite Mental Health & Wellness

Thank you to all the donors, supporters, community members, and applicants for a successful fall granting program! Keweenaw Area Community Foundation will be awarding over $90,000.00 to local non-profit organizations. This is part two of a series of posts announcing our grants to 46 different organizations. Stay tuned for more!

Below is the list of organizations receiving grants from the Kellogg Youth Endowment Fund. The grants from this fund have been evaluated and recommended by the KCF Youth Advisory Council (YAC), a group of local students aged 12-21 who learn about philanthropy, leadership, and community service. 

This year, $24,925.60 will be awarded to the following local nonprofit organizations from the Kellogg Youth Endowment Fund:

-Ahmeek Village Volunteer Fire & Rescue Department, for their annual “Christmas for the Children” program, where the fire department visits area children for Christmas, complete with small gifts and Santa Claus on board the fire engine! This holiday program has brought joy to children and adults alike since 1909!

-Community Alliance for Progressive Education (CAPE), to continue an outreach program to build a local network of farmers and homesteaders who would like to provide farm education to children through a summer camp program. The goals of the program include getting youth out in nature, learning where food is produced, and inspiring confidence through hands-on work.

-Copper Country Suzuki Association, to help enable youth to participate in Copper Country Suzuki Association ensembles, including the Keweenaw Youth Symphony Orchestra, by providing strings, sheet music, and tuition assistance.

-Glad Tidings Assembly of God, in partnership with Barkell Elementary school, to expand the school’s existing trail network to include access to the Glad Tidings Church property. This project is also being funded by the Portage Lake Youth Fund at KCF.

-Kaleidoscope: Keweenaw Alternative Education Organization, to help fund their After-School Programs and Community Events, which are all open to the public. After-school programs include a fiber arts class, Lego club, art club, and more; community events include weekly open ice skating in the winter and an annual drama camp, with a variety of events throughout the year.

-Keweenaw Family Resource Center, to support their Family Engagement and Outreach Activities, with activities designed to provide families with early literacy information, parenting education, and social connections. Events and activities that incorporate family fun will serve as an access point for families to learn about community resources that can improve family well-being.

-Keweenaw Wild Bird R.E.C., for “Feathered Friends Academy” to expand their educational program on wild birds to more local K-6 schools. The goal is to help instill a love and respect for nature and wildlife at a young age so that our wild landscapes and the animals that reside here will continue to flourish for generations to come.

-Lake Linden-Hubbell High School: Robotics Program, for equipment upgrades to the robotics lab, to provide tools and materials necessary for students to safely and efficiently remain engaged in the FIRST Robotics program, where students work together to create a robot according to program requirements, and compete against 40 other schools in large competitions.

-unitē Mental Health & Wellness, to support group therapy pilot programs open to teens and adults: a 12-week Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Group, and a 12-week Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) Group. CBT and DBT techniques have been shown to be helpful in treating a variety of mental health disorders, including depression, PTSD, eating disorders, and substance abuse.

-unitē Mental Health & Wellness, to provide art and garden therapy supplies to enhance therapy options in our area. Art therapy specifically helps in expressing thoughts and emotions, improving language and communication, and promoting problem-solving, whereas garden therapy is a known treatment for depression, stress, anxiety, acceptance, as well as self-esteem.

Students ages 12-21 are welcome to sign up for Keweenaw Area Community Foundation’s Youth Advisory Council. Philanthropy, it’s more than just giving money! YAC teaches students the importance of giving time and talent. Members take an active role in serving the community through sponsoring charitable events and volunteering. Students learn how to conduct meetings and make decisions as a group, ensuring every voice is heard. YAC awards grants to non-profit organizations and schools for youth-related programs in Houghton and Keweenaw Counties. 

Thank you to our YAC members for making the tough funding decisions, to the Kellogg Foundation for the original contribution to start the program, and to all donors and community supporters, thank you for giving to support your community. Visit www.keweenawgives.org/give-now to make a donation or to learn more about the foundation.