The current round of the
Voices of Youth online grantmaking competition (launched jointly by
The Pittsburgh Foundation and
The Grable Foundation) is underway, with dozens of applicants now narrowed down to seven finalists. Public voting has now begun, with these seven creative projects awaiting your votes as they compete to receive funding. They are:
Extreme Home Makeover, Steel Valley Edition – 120 students from the Steel Valley School District will renovate local homes in Homestead, Munhall and West Homestead. Students and residents will gain pride in their community and maintain better living conditions for the future.
Unified for Youth Extension Group – Seeking to counter the negative effects of homophobia, students will be trained to speak to school administrators, teachers, elected officials and other community members on how to begin change and best implement existing/future policy. The goal: to allow teens the chance to feel safe and succeed in school.
Speak Up Oliver High School – "Speak Up" is an anonymous text messaging system to address violence in the community. Proposed by Oliver High School students, the system will allow students to text if they see a gun in school, alerting local police who can then respond.
Get Ur Good On Academy Charter School Day of Service – Students at the Academy Charter School (who are Pittsburgh Public High School students on probation from the Allegheny County Juvenile Courts) have begun participating in community service programs. "Get Ur Good On" will celebrate and grow these programs, providing opportunities to serve and be leaders in their communities.
Millvale Children's Library – Millvale has never had a library, though residents of all ages have long wanted one. This plan would not only help build a functional children's library in the Millvale community, but will also bring many people, including teens, to help out.
Breaking Barriers, Building Tolerance – Armed with a Flip Video Camcorder, the students will explore the issue of tolerance by capturing moments of their lives and monologues of their thoughts. The videos will be compiled onto an online community,encouraging tolerance.
Building Peace Through the Arts – Tackling the issue of violence in the Sto-Rox community, the project involves students in talking about peace. From these discussions, the students will create art that represents peace and serves as a constant inspiration in the community.
Voting ends March 12.
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Writer: Melissa Rayworth
Source: Christopher Whitlatch, Pittsburgh Foundation
Image courtesy of The Pittsburgh Foundation