State Youth Grants

This funding opportunity is designed to support organizations in Texas that will create and expand Esports programs for youth aged 14 to 21, promoting interest in STEM careers through education and competition.

This program provides funding to organizations in Illinois to deliver comprehensive nursing support and services to pregnant and parenting individuals and their infants, focusing on reducing maternal and infant health disparities.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to state agencies, local governments, and special purpose districts to create or improve recreational facilities in economically disadvantaged communities.

The Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) is offering a new funding opportunity for local organizations to support water safety programming, utilizing Title V funds. This grant aims to expand efforts in protecting Hoosier families around water by developing or expanding drowning prevention activities, with a specific focus on increasing water safety among infants, children, and adolescents. The program encourages creative initiatives to address identified barriers that put children at higher risk of drowning, directly working to reduce fatalities among families in Indiana. While the exact foundation mission alignment isn't explicitly stated, the grant's focus on public health and safety aligns with a broad public health mandate. The target beneficiaries for this grant are infants, children, and adolescents in Indiana, particularly those in at-risk or vulnerable populations. The impact goals are to increase water safety and reduce drowning fatalities among these groups. Programming may include education for families, resource development and dissemination, connecting families with swim lessons, and increasing safety in various water environments such such as bathtubs, pools, retention ponds, and open water. Local organizations applying for the grant must have identified the specific barriers families encounter that contribute to higher drowning risks, and their proposed programs must directly address these barriers. The priorities and focuses of this grant include partnering with local health departments (though health departments themselves are not eligible to apply), adhering to guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and IDOH, and addressing water safety barriers in at-risk or vulnerable populations. Proposed activities must be evidence-based, data-informed, or utilize promising practices to ensure effective programming. Collaboration with local community action teams and child fatality review teams is also encouraged for maximum impact. The grant specifically serves Indiana residents, and grantees must comply with financial requirements. The expected outcomes and measurable results of this grant are not explicitly detailed with specific metrics, but the overarching goal is to reduce fatalities among families by increasing water safety. By focusing on evidence-based practices and addressing identified barriers, the grant aims for tangible improvements in water safety outcomes for children and adolescents. The implicit strategic priority is public health improvement through targeted prevention efforts, and the theory of change suggests that by empowering local organizations to implement tailored drowning prevention initiatives, the IDOH can effectively mitigate risk factors and improve safety for vulnerable populations across Indiana. The project period for the budget is Jan. 1 – Dec. 31, 2025, indicating a short-term, impactful project cycle.

The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) Bureau of Women’s and Children’s Health (BWCH) oversees Adolescent Health programming to improve the health and well-being of young people in the state. As of 2005, BWCH has been administering state lottery funds for the prevention of teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). According to the Arizona Vital Statistics, from 2011 to 2021, the teen birth rate for Arizona teenagers ages fifteen through nineteen (15-19) has declined from thirty-six point nine (36.9) to fifteen point three (15.3) per 1,000 females. The repeat birth rates of youth of the same age, who had already had a child decreased from 142.7 in 2011 to 135.8 per 1,000 in 2021. Despite the declines, birth rates for Arizona teens ages fifteen through nineteen (15-19)   exceeds   the   national   rate   of   thirteen   point   nine   (13.9)   in   2021 (https://blogs.cdc.gov/nchs/2023/01/20/7245/). Arizona's racial and ethnic groups exhibit significant disparities in teen pregnancy rates, with Hispanic, American Indian, and African American females aged nineteen (19) or younger experiencing the highest rates. In 2021, American Indian youth had a notably elevated pregnancy rate of sixteen point three (16.3) per 1,000 females, surpassing the state average of ten point six (10.6) per 1,000. Similarly, rates for Hispanic or Latino youth were fourteen point four (14.4) per 1,000, and for Black or African American youth, they were twelve point six (12.6) per 1,000, both above the state average, while rates for White Non-Hispanics six (6) per 1,000 and Asian or Pacific Islanders three point four (3.4) per 1,000 were considerably lower. Teen pregnancy is intricately linked with complex factors such as school failure, behavioral issues, and family challenges, which often hinder youths’ ability to avoid pregnancy. Positive Youth Development (PYD) programs present a promising approach by emphasizing the enhancement of protective factors over merely addressing risk behaviors. These programs have shown efficacy in reducing sexual risk behaviors, Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and unintended pregnancies. By fostering ongoing development and maturation, PYD programs empower youth to recognize and manage risk-taking behaviors, making them a viable strategy for teen pregnancy prevention (Gavin et al., 2010). According to the 2021 Arizona Surveillance STD case data, forty-nine percent (49%) of STD cases (chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis) in Arizona were among adolescents under the age of twenty-five (25). Since 2019, the rate of chlamydia among teenagers fifteen through nineteen (15-19) years old has been slowly decreasing but still remains high at 2,031 per 100,000 in 2019 to 1,729 per 100,000 in 2021. For gonorrhea, the rate among these teenagers increased from 384 per 100,000 in 2019 to 467 per 100,000 in 2021. As for syphilis, in 2019, twenty-two (22) per 100,000 fifteen through nineteen (15-19) year-old teenagers were reported to have syphilis, increasing to twenty-six (26) per 100,000 in 2021. Regarding STDs/STIs, major disparities between Arizona’s racial and ethnic groups also persist. The Arizona 2021 Annual STD Report indicates that Black (994 per 100,000) and American Indian/Alaska Native (787 per 100,000) populations have consistently higher rates of chlamydia, the Black population (763 per 100,000) continues to have the highest rate of gonorrhea, and the American Indian/Alaska Native (172 per 100,000) and Black (123 per 100,000) populations have the highest rates of syphilis, surpassing their Hispanic, White, and Asian/Pacific Islander counterparts. Financial Notes: Approximately $700,000.00 will be available each Grant year for a five (5) year grant period to provide services to youth for the prevention of teen pregnancies and STIs. Annual funding for services will be provided during the state fiscal year, from July through June; Therefore, the first and last years of funding will be partial funding: first year funded upon award through June 30, 2025; fifth year from July 1, 2029 through September 30, 2029. Budgets will be reviewed annually and may be decreased based on: 1. Changes in state lottery funding allocations. 2. Failure to meet the number of youths proposed to be served; or meet the required program completion by youth for Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programming. 3. Failure to comply with Grant requirements. 4. Negative audit findings. 5. Failure to spend budget funds efficiently.

The Ohio Division of Wildlife's "STEP OUTSIDE" grant program is designed to support local government agencies, non-profit organizations, and other family and youth-oriented facilities in promoting outdoor skills such as fishing, hunting, trapping, archery, and shooting sports. This grant aims to fund activities that are unaffordable for the sponsoring agency or organization and is not intended to support existing programs or provide ongoing funding for new programs or activities. Eligible applicants include city, county, and community park and recreation agencies, local and state conservation clubs, and youth-oriented groups such as scouts, 4-H, YMCA/YWCA, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, etc. The program emphasizes that private individuals are not eligible. The application period is ongoing throughout the fiscal year, with applications required to be submitted at least 60 days in advance of the event.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for the construction, renovation, or enhancement of arts facilities in Alabama, benefiting local arts organizations and communities.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and government agencies to enhance environmental education and maintain green infrastructure at public and charter schools in Washington, D.C.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for nonprofit organizations in Arizona to distribute free HIV self-test kits to at-risk communities, aiming to improve access to testing and reduce barriers related to HIV.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for K-12 schools in Georgia to enhance computer science education by enabling teachers to pursue professional development, certifications, and endorsements.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to community organizations and local governments in Illinois to create programs that assist homeless youth aged 14 to 23 with immediate housing, case management, and long-term stability services.

This funding opportunity is designed to help libraries in Ohio create innovative projects that address specific community needs while aligning with the State Library's strategic goals.

This grant provides funding to organizations and initiatives focused on improving access to newborn hearing screening and services in Minnesota.

This grant provides funding to organizations that aim to improve choice-making skills for children with developmental disabilities, ages birth to 14, along with their families and caregivers, to promote self-determination and autonomy.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to nonprofit organizations, government entities, and schools to create employment and career development programs for at-risk youth in Illinois, helping them overcome barriers to success.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for Ohio-based organizations to develop educational projects that raise awareness about critical environmental issues, targeting specific audiences such as students and the general public.

This funding opportunity supports Oregon-based organizations in developing programs that help at-risk youth aged 6 to 19 achieve educational success, improve mental and physical wellness, and engage with their communities.

The Oregon Arts Commission's Arts Build Communities program offers a one-year grant of $5,000 to arts and community-based organizations in Oregon, aiming to address local issues through arts-based solutions, with a focus on underserved communities and projects that integrate arts with community goals.

This funding opportunity supports Minnesota communities in preventing youth substance use by implementing a proven prevention framework and fostering local coalitions to address risk factors.

This initiative invites Arizona youth aged 14 to 19 to participate in shaping arts policy and programs, providing them with a platform to influence local arts access and engagement while receiving a stipend for their contributions.