Seeking Youth Groups and Volunteer Coaches for a Grant Opportunity

Social Capital Inc. is actively seeking Greater Boston area youth groups to participate, and volunteers to serve as “coaches” for the youth teams. SCI is excited to share that they are launching the third annual Youth Grant Pitch Contest (YGPC) to empower young people to identify and address pressing needs they see in the community.

The goal of the 2024 SCI YGPC is to provide youth with the opportunity to decide how to strengthen their community while practicing valuable professional skills such as public speaking, project management, and community organizing. Additionally, this program provides youth the opportunity for social engagement with other like-minded young people in the area and is a chance to positively impact other young people in the community! Though the emphasis will be on projects that support youth mental health initiatives, project ideas that support the community in other ways are welcome.

Youth groups in schools, clubs, and after-school programs from the Greater Boston area are invited to apply by December 20, 2023 (priority deadline), with rolling applications accepted no later than January 12, 2024. While we are open to youth teams from throughout the area, we are especially interested in youth from Arlington, Billerica, Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, and Woburn based on SCI's current service area. Participating youth groups should have one adult advisor who can serve as a point of contact, but the advisor does not need to participate in all of the coaching sessions.

If selected, youth groups will be matched with two volunteer professional coaches to work with them during February and March through 6 one-hour virtual coaching sessions. With the guidance and support of their professional volunteer coaches, youth groups will develop their project ideas and be in the driver's seat of positive change. Youth teams will also have the opportunity to participate in skill-building workshops and should plan to join at least one of the three workshops offered that will focus on topics like public speaking, project management, and community development.

The program will culminate in the Pitch Contest, an in-person event on April 6, 2024, where a panel of judges will listen to the pitches and choose which teams will be awarded the grant funds for project implementation. SCI will award $10,000 worth of grants to a minimum of 7 youth-led groups, who will then have until November 2024 to complete their respective projects. Advisors should be available to help the youth teams in the implementation phase of this program and teams will be required to complete a program survey upon finishing their project. Teams may carry out their projects anytime from April through November 2024.

Interested in getting involved as a volunteer coach or know of a youth group that would like to participate? Fill out our interest form on our website https://socialcapitalinc.org/ygpc or contact SCI Program Operations Coordinator, Nicole Osborne, at [email protected] or by phone at 252-347-8849.

This project is supported by Kick It for a Cause, Winning Home, Inc., the AmeriCorps Agency, Massachusetts Service Alliance, and a Massachusetts state budget line item, thanks to the advocacy of State Senator Cindy Friedman. Major support for SCI Woburn is provided by Cummings Properties.

The mission of SCI Social Capital Inc. is to strengthen communities by connecting diverse individuals and organizations through civic engagement initiatives. Founded in 2002 in Woburn, SCI has grown to serve the Greater Boston area while continuing to have a significant impact in Woburn.

Visit SCIWoburn.org to learn about local SCI programs and volunteer opportunities.