HCI Board funds 16 mini-grants to benefit area youth
At their recent board meetings, the Northfield Healthy Community Initiative (HCI) Board approved mini-grants to support 16 projects and activities designed to benefit Northfield youth, including 14 youth-led service learning projects.
Mini-grants were awarded to:
Women of the Wild; a connectedness group. Sandi Miller hopes to expand summer experiences for local girls by offering a variety of organized activities and outings such as hiking, canoeing, organic farming, cooking activities, visiting a horse farm, conducting a yoga class, and more.
5th Grade Kindness Retreat. In the fall, Sibley Elementary School will host a Kindness Retreat for all its 5th graders. The Kindness Retreat, presented by Youth Frontiers, Inc., will provide students with strategies to avoid and to stop bullying.
Furthermore, in a cooperative initiative, HCI — with financial support from WINGS (Women In Northfield Giving Support) — funded 14 mini-grants in support of service projects developed by students at Northfield High School and ARTech Charter School. All projects were developed during the spring semester at each school.
Funded projects at the Northfield High School, as part of Sarah Swan-McDonald’s Service Learning Class, included:
Water Bottle Project. Reusable water bottles were sold to students at the high school. Money raised from the sale of water bottles will go towards the purchase and installation of an automated water bottle fountain in the high school.
Seeds to Grow On. Students in this group worked with elementary schools students, teaching about healthy food choices and planting vegetable plants.
Kids Kick Cancer. Students organized a carnival and concert event to raise funds for local families affected by cancer.
Support Our Troops. Students developed an awareness campaign for active U.S. Service personnel and those suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Girls Connections. Students designed a mentoring project where female high school students held mentoring sessions with 7th grade girls from the middle school. Hands-on activities were planned for each mentoring session.
Funded projects at ARTech Charter School, as part of the middle school service learning unit, included:
Triforce Tournament, a fundraiser for Child’s Play, an organization that gives video games to children in hospitals.
Simpson Homeless Shelter Benefit Fiesta, a fundraiser for the Simpson Homeless Shelter.
Books for Africa, a book drive for youth in Africa.
The Food Shelf Project, a fundraiser for the Community Action Center’s Food Shelf.
People in Disguise, a costume-party fundraiser for an informational campaign about the local Food Shelf.
ARTech Movie Night, a fundraiser for Prairie’s Edge Humane Society.
Pennies for Peace Walk-a-thon, a fundraiser for the Pennies for Peace non-profit (an organization that raises money to build schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan).
Fantasy Land, a festival to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Bake Sale, a fundraiser for Heifer International.
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HCI offers mini-grants to projects and activities that:
- provide the opportunity for young people to develop positive intergenerational relationships with caring adults and/or
- connect Northfield youth with their communities (ex. neighborhood, school, wider Northfield)
Applications are reviewed monthly and are due by the second Monday of the month. Visit www.northfieldhci.org/mini-grants for more information and to access the easy-to-complete application.
Funding for the HCI mini-grants comes from the Northfield Area United Way, Women In Northfield Giving Support (WINGS), and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
