Ten youth projects, including one from Revelstoke, were successful in the recent intake of the Columbia Basin Youth Grants program.
Students at Revelstoke Secondary School were awarded a $1,650 to stage a workshop, Consciousness in Consumer Society Workshop, during this week’s Screen Smart Challenge
Offered by Columbia Basin Trust (CBT), the grants support youth-led projects that directly benefit Basin youth (ages 15 to 29) and involve youth in project development, planning and implementation.
“CBT, along with our Youth Advisory Committee (YAC), which adjudicates the grant applications, is excited by the number and quality of applications we received this round,” said Wayne Lundeberg, CBT director for Youth Initiatives said in a statement Friday. “It is encouraging to see that applicants are using the support available from our Basin Youth Liaison, Michelle d’Entremont who assists groups with the project ideas and offers grant writing workshops to help get them started.”
Youth in the community of Valemount will be hosting an event similar to the television show ‘The Amazing Race’ ($3,500). Organizer Jared Smith said, “I wanted to create an event that will inspire youth to take initiative and create connections.”
The project is supported by Valemount Secondary School principal Dan Kenkel, “We are excited to have this opportunity to get our youth involved in leadership roles in this race. Great things happen when youth get involved in supporting and creating community events.”
Other successful projects include:
- Valemount Amazing Race-style event (3,500) (Valemount Secondary School). The event is intended to inspire youth to take initiative and create connections;
- Invermere’s Breakfast Program ($2,200) and the I Am Beautiful Workshop (1,000) (David Thompson Secondary School). The I am Beautiful Workshop promotes self-esteem and confidence for Grade Seven girls as well as help them connect with each other and senior girls before they begin high school. The Breakfast Program ($2,200) which provides breakfast to local middle school students. This project not only tackles a growing issue of students coming to school hungry but also developing relationships amoung young people and encouraging volunteerism;
- West Kootenay Youth Peace Summit ($485) (Robson Community School) – Youth will be informed about peace, leadership and team building;
- Thinking sustainably ($3,000) (School District #8, Kootenay Lake) – A three-day workshop on sustainable building and permaculture practices;
- Veggie Bus Project ($3,000), created by students from Self Design High, based in Nelson. The project involves converting a diesel fuelled school bus to a vegetable oil fuelled one. Students will travel and connect with other youth providing a space for conversation and creating an inspiring vehicle for learning;
- Respectful Relationships ($4,380) (Robson Valley Support Society), a project which will address violence in relationships by helping youth develop emotional intelligence around social justice issues;
- Gender Action Project Theatre ($14,370) (West Kootenay Women’s Association) – An interactive theatre presentation to help youth think of positive ways to improve issues in their lives and their communities; and
- Youth Social Action Theatre ($8,330) (Creston and District Community Resource Centre Society) – Interactive plays about youth identified issues.
“These projects got approved because young people identified what is important to them in their community and took action,” said CBT YAC member Laura Archer.
While the deadline for the next intake of Columbia Basin Youth Grants is in October 2011, it’s never too early to begin your application. Residents with project ideas are encouraged to start their applications by contacting Michelle d’Entremont, CBT’s Basin Youth Liaison at cbtyouth@cbt.org well before the deadline. The Liaison provides support to applicants throughout the process, including discussing project ideas, providing application assistance and giving grant writing workshops. For more information, visit www.scratchonline.ca/grants.
To learn more about CBT programs and initiatives, visit www.cbt.org or call 1-800-505-8998.
