Youth Council is the student leadership arm of the Youth Connections project, which is designed to support public middle and high schools in fostering a culture and climate that meets students’ social, emotional and academic needs.
18 students from 13 school districts across Colorado (including students from Holyoke) joined this year’s Youth Council program. They collectively spent 324 hours working to improve their communities while becoming leaders and activists in the process. The team learned about the grant process, created a student-focused grant application, and then reviewed application submissions from students across 13 public school districts. In total, Youth Council students granted $112,535 to support student-led projects in Colorado.
Holyoke High School was awarded two of those grants.
Future Business Leaders of America: $2,000 for a Shop Local Day to increase awareness for local businesses to boost the economy, and empower student leaders as they organize the event.
Every 15 Minutes Program: $5,000 to bring students to the program in order to raise awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving.
Said one participant in the Youth Council, “Youth Council has positively impacted my life by allowing me to give back to my community while teaching me the inner workings of nonprofits and the grant application process. ”
Another hinted to being more prepared for that challenges await after graduation saying, “[The Youth Council] allowed me to grow my confidence, helped me learn the process of voting and discussion, and I won't feel as intimidated in the future.”
“The Youth Council allowed me to really think about all the aspects that go into project planning. It also allowed me to work with people that have the same values," this participant acknowledged that by working together people can come together.
