Grantees of summer 2021 Youth Development Fund announced

Mayor Kim Janey and the Office of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Office of Public Safety (OPS) today announced the allocation of $110,000 in grant funding to 14 local, non-profit organizations through the 2021 Youth Development Fund. The City of Boston sought to support organizations with summer programming to ensure youth and young adults have a safe and productive summer. The Youth Development Fund grants to Boston youth-serving nonprofits will be used to increase or scale up programs for the summer, for June through August. 

“As part of our 2021 Summer Safety Plan, we have chosen local youth-serving organizations from around Boston as recipients of Youth Development Fund grant funding. We are striving to make this summer a season of safety and healing for our young people,” said Mayor Janey. “This summer’s grantee organizations are doing the crucial work of engaging our youth during their time off from school in ways that are healthy, safe, and positive.”

Awards were made to applicants that aim to strengthen or expand summer violence prevention efforts for youth and young adults, ages 10 to 25. Funding will support activities that fit into the City of Boston’s framework of violence prevention, intervention, response and recovery. The Youth Development Fund prioritized:

• Applicants expanding intentional engagement for high-risk and underserved groups
• Applicants from Boston neighborhoods that are disproportionately impacted by youth violence
• Applicants with a proven track record of successfully implementing practices within the Positive Youth Development and/or Meaningful Youth Engagement frameworks

Of organizations granted, 50% are led by a person of color and 64% are led by a woman.

Summer 2021 Youth Development Fund grantees:

All Dorchester Sports and Leadership: ADSL operates Girls Fit First, a program that provides fitness and youth development classes for girls aged 14 to17, emphasizing mind and body wellness.

Boston Project Ministries: BPM’s Mental Health Ambassadors program works to decrease stigma surrounding mental health, educate the community about mental health, and create innovative spaces for self-care and healing.

Bridge Over Troubled Waters, Inc.: Bridge will expand specialized age- and culturally-appropriate violence intervention services by adding its street outreach footprint into Roxbury, Chinatown, and Mission Hill.

Cape Verdean Association of Boston: The Cape Verdean Association of Boston runs the Cabral Youth Leadership Academy, which seeks to foster leadership and public-speaking skills among Cape Verdean youth aged 15 to 22.

Caribbean Youth Club, Inc.: The Caribbean Youth Club serves newly arrived Afro-Caribbean immigrant and refugee youth by delivering culture specific resettlement services.

Catholic Charitable Bureau of the Archdiocese of Boston, Inc.: Catholic Charities’ Teen Center is reopening its full-time summer academic enrichment and camp program for middle and high school students.

College Bound Dorchester: College Bound Dorchester operates Boston Uncornered, a corner-to-college intervention model designed to break cycles of disruption and move disconnected and gang-involved youth into and through college.

Friends of St. Stephen's Youth Programs: St. Stephen’s Youth Programs promotes equity in education, employment and opportunity through long-term relationships with youth and their families and communities.

Level Ground Mixed Martial Arts: Level Ground MMA empowers urban youth through transformative athletic, academic, and employment opportunities.

Partners for Youth with Disabilities: PYD builds the skills and abilities of young people with disabilities, and increases the inclusivity of workplaces, organizations, and communities.

The City School: The City School works with young people ages 14 to19 living in Boston who are emerging leaders and have a passion for social justice, focusing primarily on Dorchester, Roxbury, and Mattapan.

The One Love Foundation in honor of Yeardley Love: One Love educates young people about healthy and unhealthy relationships, empowering them to identify and avoid abuse and learn how to love better.

Third Sector New England/MissionWorks: The Youth Ubuntu Project has involved over 900 Latinx, African, Caribbean and Asian teens in youth leadership and solidarity, leading programs like Immigrant Youth Speak Out, six intensive summer leadership programs, a series of social justice actions, and a campaign to improve BPS English Learner instruction.

We Are Better Together - Youth Empowerment Project: The Youth Empowerment Project is based on a harm reduction philosophy, providing counseling, stabilization, and case management with an emphasis on enhancing individuality for street-involved youth.

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