Positive Youth Development

As executive director of Worth Our Weight, a nonprofit culinary arts apprenticeship program in Santa Rosa, CA, Evelyn Cheatham has taught over 100 at-risk young people the skills to cook and manage a restaurant.
Each year, the Colin Higgins Foundation honors lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth who have inspired others with their resilience in the face of challenges. Youth under 18 who have overcome adversity and discrimination can be nominated to receive a $10,000 scholarship.
The National Gardening Association and Jamba Juice are offering funding for youth garden programs. Nonprofits that have at least 15 youth participants ages 3 to 18 are eligible. The grant program provides youth garden initiatives with $500 in gardening supplies, learning materials, soil amendments and plants.
A number of studies have shown the challenges that youth in foster care have in establishing healthy romantic relationships. Experiencing abuse and neglect can hinder their ability to connect with others. Youth in foster care also lack role models to give them a picture of what healthy interactions look like.
Verizon is accepting submissions for its Innovative App Challenge. Teams of middle and high school students are invited to create an app that addresses a need or problem in their school or community. Learn more about this opportunity.
Know a young person who is doing a project in the community to help others? If so, direct them to the Disney Friends for Change Grant, which offers $1,000 for youth-led community service projects. Learn more on the Youth Service America website.
The Department of Justice's Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation will fund projects that support public safety, victim services and crime prevention improvements for Native American and Alaska Native governments.
The Case Foundation's #GoodSpotting contest invites people to "spot and share" acts of good. Entrants can upload a picture, video or link to an article that shows someone helping others or use the hashtag #GoodSpotting to submit entries via social media. Winners will receive $500 for themselves and $5,000 for their favorite charity. 
We all get by with a little help from our friends, so why not empower young adults to support their peers diagnosed with a mental illness? That is the thinking behind the Mental Health Campaign for Mental Health Recovery, which seeks to educate 18- to 25-year-olds so they can support friends and classmates struggling with mental illness.
The William T. Grant Foundation seeks to fund high-quality empirical research that improves the lives of youth ages 8-25. Two grant opportunities are open:
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National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth | 5515 Security Lane, Suite 800 | North Bethesda, MD 20852 | (301) 608-8098 | ncfy@acf.hhs.gov