The William T. Grant Foundation is pleased to announce that it has awarded three community-based organizations in New York City $25,000 grants to improve the quality of their youth programs.
The Foundation’s Youth Service Improvement Grants program supports medium-sized organizations that have demonstrated success but have also identified an area that if improved would enhance the quality of services.
The newest grantees are:
Dynamic Forms
“Partnership in Literacy through Dance and Creativity”
This grant will support the creation of a curriculum and trauma-informed training program. Dynamic Forms wants to improve its core program, “Partnership in Literacy through Dance and Creativity,” through which students receive dance lessons that are linked to classroom topics. The organization will enhance its current training by adding a series on trauma-informed care. They will also contract a licensed social worker and board-certified dance therapist to develop and train teaching artists to implement a multi-year curriculum that will increase teaching artists’ abilities to deliver academic content, engage with students in culturally- and age-appropriate ways, and ensure the classroom content is aligned with school standards.
Lineage Project
“Organizational Capacity-Building in Youth Trauma: Implementing an Improved Model and Training Approach”
This grant will support the creation of a trauma-informed curriculum for Lineage Project. Lineage Project wants to improve its mindfulness programs, which include yoga, tai-chi, and meditation, for youth ages 11-24 that are incarcerated, homeless, or suspended from school. Students served by Lineage have been exposed to high levels of trauma, yet most of Lineage’s staff lack formal training in how to address such circumstances. Lineage Project therefore proposes to redesign its service model to align with trauma-informed practices. Their director of programs will attend trauma trainings provided by an outside trainer, and will subsequently work with a senior teacher to write a trauma-informed curriculum and teacher manual. The organization will also create a cohort of mentor teachers that will train other teachers in the program.
Futures and Options
“Internship Program Curriculum Update”
Futures and Options’ internship program offers paid work experience to New York City youth ages 16-20 who face skills and access gaps upon seeking employment. The interns participate in career development workshops that include resume writing, interviewing, networking, professional behavior, leadership, and teamwork. An independent evaluation of the program stated that the addition of hard skills training would enhance participants’ chances of being hired. Current business partners also stated that they would expect an increase in the skills of the interns to match the increase in the minimum wage, which the interns are paid. A consultant will help Futures and Options update their curriculum to include computer training and certifications, particularly in Microsoft Office products, as well as integrating the new training into the program.
Learn more about Youth Services Improvement Grants.
