Cash grants for youth ideas

Students at Mount Boucherie Secondary School received a grant to open a Global Village Coffee Shop. (Photo: Michael Breakey)

Contributed

In the business of building communities, nobody has more at stake than the young people who will be responsible for the future well-being of those cities and towns.

Fortunately, young people have the most creative ideas and understand that the risk of putting yourself out there can pay off in a big way. A little support from adults can be the catalyst to huge impact in a short period of time.

TELUS, Interior Savings and United Way are becoming that catalyst by strategically investing in a new partnership to support young people. Youth Initiative grants will provide funding so that children and youth up to age 25 can develop their ideas into powerful projects to create and sustain change.

TELUS is impressed by the results achieved from an initial investment in 10 Central and South Okanagan youth projects earlier this year.

Students at KLO Middle School received funding to protect nesting turtles. (Photo: Michael Breakey)

“At TELUS we have a philosophy to give where we live and it’s encouraging to hear from youth who share this commitment to creating positive and lasting change in their own communities. Youth Initiative grants promote youth involvement and leadership to make a difference – something TELUS and our team members truly appreciate and want to support,” said Steve Jenkins, TELUS general manager for the BC Interior South.

“The projects made possible through last year’s grants were so impressive and inspiring that we doubled our contribution from last year to $10,000 to help expand the program to Vernon and Kamloops youth and enable even more great work in our communities,” said Jenkins.

Interior Savings joined the program as a sponsor in 2011, and believe that a partnership approach to investing in youth makes good sense for the future.

“Today’s youth represent our future workforce and the future leaders of our community,” said Gene Creelman, Interior Savings’ VP of marketing and communications. “The youth grants program provides a safe environment for these young people to stretch themselves and develop leadership and life skills that they can only get through real-life experiences.”

Children and youth up to age 25 are encouraged to submit applications for a Youth Initiative Grant by Friday December 9. Projects can address any social issue that matters to applicants. Funding decisions will be announced in February 2012.

For more information, please call Avril at 250-860-2356 or e-mail avril@unitedwaycso.com. Application information is available at www.unitedwaycso.com or facebook.com/youthgrants.