Fifteen projects, including two from Revelstoke, that benefit Basin youth were recently approved for $107,400 in funding through Columbia Basin Trust’s Youth Grants Program. The projects will receive a total of $107,400.
“Applicants submitted a diverse range of project ideas to the program,” Sabrina Curtis, director of Sector Initiatives for the Trust, said in a statement announcing the funding. “We are excited that all of the funded projects will strongly support meaningful engagement of Basin youth.”
The two Revelstoke projects are being delivered through the Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre (RVAC) and the Revelstoke Theatre Company.
The first project, which received $3,000 in funding, consists of four workshops for young women aged 14 to 18. It will focus on art, goal setting, health and financials in order to build personal understanding, leadership, creativity and self-worth. The second, which received $9,500 in support, offers youth drama classes and musical production supported by professionals in the fields of acting, voice, movement, dance, lighting, sound and technical affairs.
Projects that directly benefit Basin youth aged 12 to 29 can receive up to $15,000 per project through the Youth Grants Program. A range of organizations can apply including school districts, First Nations and local governments, plus youth aged 15 to 29 with a sponsoring organization. The Trust’s Youth Advisory Committee, made up of youth aged 15 to 29, adjudicate the applications.
The next Youth Grants Program deadline is March 10, at 2 pm. For more information, visit www.cbt.org/ygp.
The Trust supports efforts to deliver social, economic and environmental benefits to the residents of the Columbia Basin. To learn more about Trust programs and initiatives, visit www.cbt.org or call 1-800-505-8998.
Here is a brief overview of the successful applications:
| Basin-wide | Ktunaxa/ Kinbasket Child and Family Services Society | First Nations youth, aged 13 to 18, will connect with mentors to develop individual goals, plus participate in a group activity at the K-House Ranch which raises awareness about their culture. | $5,000 |
| Castlegar | Castlegar and District Community Services Society | Through a 10-week workshop series, youth aged 13 to 19 will use theatre to address relevant issues and create change, while incorporating the youth’s own experiences and inviting the audience to alter the performance to improve the outcome. | $3,700 |
| Castlegar | Stanley Humphries Secondary School | A variety of activities at an after-school program for Stanley Humphries Secondary School grade 8 to 12 girls will encourage healthy lifestyles and relationships. | $1,400 |
| Castlegar and Area | Blueberry Creek Community School Council | Castlegar and area youth will participate in a design competition to renovate a room at the Blueberry Creek Community School, turning it into a contemporary and welcoming youth space in which to run the TGIF youth programs. | $2,500 |
| Castlegar/ Nelson | Selkirk College | Training, events and initiatives will help students develop and contribute to a healthy campus culture. | $12,000 |
| Kimberley and Area | 266 Kimberley Air Cadets Squadron Sponsoring Committee | Youth will develop interest in aviation by building and launching model rockets. | $750 |
| Meadow Creek | North Kootenay Lake Community Services Society | The local youth group will create a welcoming space for youth programming at the Lardeau Valley Community Centre. | $8,000 |
| Nelson/ South Slocan | Kootenay Writers Society | Published writers will help Nelson and Slocan Valley students with their creative writing, offering editing expertise and encouragement, and culminating in the production of a chapbook, publication launch and student reading. | $7,300 |
| Revelstoke | Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre | Delivered by local female role models, four workshops for Revelstoke females aged 14 to 18 will focus on art, goal setting, health and financials in order to build personal understanding, leadership, creativity and self-worth. | $3,000 |
| Revelstoke | Revelstoke Theatre Company Society | Youth drama classes and musical production in Revelstoke—supported by professionals in the fields of acting, voice, movement, dance, lighting, sound and other technical aspects. | $9,500 |
| Rossland | City of Rossland | Youth action teams will host activities and programming that lead up to a week-long celebration of youth in May 2014. | $15,000 |
| School District 8 | Canadian Red Cross Society | An innovative bullying prevention program will come to all 16 schools of School District 8, in which six teams of high school students will be trained to deliver bullying prevention workshops to their younger peers, equipping them to stop bullying as soon as it starts. | $15,000 |
| School District 8 | Kaslo | Michael Price, a Kwakiutl artist living in Creston, will mentor Kaslo students in designing and creating a large collaborative carving. | $7,500 |
| South Slocan | School District 8: Kootenay Lake | A daily television broadcast will be operated and maintained by Mount Sentinel Secondary School students to relay information, celebrate learning and encourage student leadership. | $10,000 |
| Valemount | Wishbone Theatre Productions | Valemount youth aged 12 to 29 will create a play with music that explores and reflects their visions of community (past, present and future), what makes it work and how they imagine their ideal society. | $6,750 |
