GRANTS FOR YOUTH!

2011 Global Youth Service Day International Regional Partner Planning Grants (Deadline: August 15) Youth Service America (YSA) is accepting applications from organizations around the world to serve as Regional Partners for Global Youth Service Day (April 15-17, 2011). YSA will select and support 1-2 Regional Partners in each of the following regions with a $5,000 planning grant: Latin America and the Caribbean; South America; Western Europe; Eastern Europe; Africa; North Africa and the Middle East; Asia; Southeast Asia. Regional Partners can be regional offices of international organizations, regional organizations or networks, or national organizations that have partners in neighboring countries. The GYSD Regional Partner program is only open to organizations outside the United States. Regional Partners will be responsible for promoting and coordinating GYSD in their region, mobilizing partner organizations and Country Partners in their region, working with media and government officials, tracking projects, and assisting with grant reviews and translations. Regional Partners will receive a $5,000 planning grant, recognition and increased visibility, and ongoing technical assistance from Youth Service America staff. For more information, or to access the application, visit: www.GYSD.org/page/regionalpartners Strong Communities Competition (Deadline: August 11) This competition seeks innovative projects and ideas that engage citizens to steer change and build strong communities. Three winners will receive $5,000, and eight finalists will get to attend the Community Matters 2010 Conference. The Strong Communities: Engaging Citizens, Strengthening Place, Inspiring Change competition is open to all types of individuals and organizations (charitable and non-profit organizations, private companies, or public entities). CommunityMatters is interested in solutions from a variety of disciplines including (but not limited to) conservation, planning, economics, politics, education, deliberative democracy and the arts, and especially encourages submission of interdisciplinary approaches. CommunityMatters has a special interest in receiving submissions from young people. www.changemakers.com/node/83131 DoSomething.org Get Well Soon Grants (Deadline: August 17) DoSomething.org has teamed up with the Dunkin' Donuts & Baskin-Robbins Community Foundation to award project grants to individuals who are taking action to help children in hospitals. From creating a safe space while elementary and middle school aged kids stay in hospitals, to creating care packages for hospital bound or recovering kids, there are many ways to get involved with or start your own projects. Whether you have an established organization that helps youth in hospitals, or if you have a new idea to help kids in hospitals, apply for a Get Well Soon Grant to help your project grow! Fifteen projects will receive $500 grants, and 5 grand prize winners will receive $1,000 grants for their projects or organizations. All of the winners will be featured on DoSomething.org and celebrated through various marketing platforms. Learn more at: www.dosomething.org/grants/get-well-soon WaysToHelp.org Grants (Deadline: Ongoing) WaysToHelp.org invites teens in the United States to apply for grants to fund their community service ideas across any one of 16 issue areas. You can apply for a grant, by visiting www.waystohelp.org and for any issue area, selecting "See Ways To Help" followed by "Apply for a Grant". Applications are short - just 5,000 words or less - and should summarize: how the project will involve others, who it will help, what effect it's expected to have, when it will start and how the funds will be used. Grant requests are reviewed and responded to on a monthly basis. www.waystohelp.org

UnitedHealth HEROES Grants (Application Available August 2)UnitedHealth HEROES Grants (Application Available August 2)

UnitedHealth HEROES Grants (Application Available August 2) The UnitedHealth HEROES program is a service-learning, health literacy initiative developed by UnitedHealth Group and Youth Service America. The program awards grants of up to $1,000 to help young people create and implement local, hands-on programs to fight childhood obesity. Each grant engages participating youth in service-learning, an effective teaching and learning strategy that supports student learning, academic achievement and workplace readiness. To date, UnitedHealth Group has awarded 361 grants to schools and youth-focused, community-based organizations in 35 states and the District of Columbia. UnitedHealth Group and Youth Service America are excited to announce that the next round of the UnitedHealth HEROES grant program will be open to applicants from all 50 states.The grants, available August 2, 2010, encourage semester-long projects that launch on Martin Luther King, Jr Day of Service in January and culminate on Global Youth Service Day, April 15-17, 2011. Schools, service-learning coordinators, nonprofits, and students in the health professions located in all 50 states and the District of Columbia are eligible to apply. The application will be available August 2 at www.YSA.org/grants

Staples Youth Social Entrepreneurship Competition (Deadline: Ongoing Through September)

Staples Youth Social Entrepreneurship Competition (Deadline: Ongoing Through September) The Youth Social Entrepreneurship Competition will search until September for eight outstanding youth changemakers; leaders of social ventures aged 12 to 24 who make a difference in the world. Youths can either nominate themselves or be nominated by someone inspired by their actions. At the end of the competition, the winners or representatives from winning teams will fly to Washington, D.C. for the November 13th TEDxYSE conference -a TED style conference run by Youth Venture on social entrepreneurship. There, they'll present their stories and achievements as well as receive $500 prize money. One of the eight teams will win the Staples grand prize for $5,000. Winners will be chosen on a rolling basis through September, so don't wait.www.genv.net/staples-yse

AmeriCorps Alums Eli J. Segal Entrepreneurship Award (Deadline: August 31)

AmeriCorps Alums Eli J. Segal Entrepreneurship Award (Deadline: August 31) Eli Segal, the first CEO of the Corporation for National Service, started the AmeriCorps Alums Entrepreneurship Award during his life to recognize alumni with similar promise. To honor Eli's life and to build upon his legacy, AmeriCorps Alums awards one alumnus each year who has demonstrated an outstanding entrepreneurial commitment to service beyond their term with AmeriCorps. Along with recognition among peers, in the media and our online networks, the award entails a valuable prize cash prize of $5,000 and in-person recognition at an award ceremony. The award funds must be used by the recipient to help continue or initiate a sustainable community initiative. Learn more at:www.americorpsalums.org/?EliSegalAward

Take the Buddy Bison Challenge & Visit Your Local, State, National Parks This Summer

Take the Buddy Bison Challenge & Visit Your Local, State, National Parks This Summer The hottest months of summer are sometimes filled with a tiresome refrain, "I'm bored." If you are looking to escape warm weather doldrums and seek fun and free activities for the whole family (or maybe a solitary escape for yourself), you need look no farther than your local parks, wetlands, wildlife refuges, forests and historic landmarks. One way to add to family outings is to take part in Where's Buddy Bison Been?, National Park Trust's program that helps get Buddy Bison and children out to our wild places. Pack Buddy Bison along with some Buddy Bison Trail Mix and hiking shoes and then take photos of Buddy Bison as you explore. When you get home, send in your photos for our website, take our healthy snack quiz, upload your pictures, songs and videos about Buddy Bison. How many park visits can you make this year? Take the Buddy Bison Challenge and win prizes. Learn more at www.buddybison.org