Microgrants for Youth
Each year, we distribute over $150,000 to graduates of our youth leadership camp (ages 15-30), enabling them to organize and run their own programs in their communities
We're not just running programs – we're igniting change!
We believe young people are powerful agents of transformation. That's why we award community grants directly to youth leaders who have demonstrated dedication and promise within our programs. We empower them to take ownership and create initiatives tailored to their local communities. Our goal is to fund 100 youth-led projects nationwide annually.
Examples of funded projects include:
• Teaching seniors technology
• Teaching art to isolated seniors
• Resume-building sessions with newcomer adults
• Intergenerational community clean-ups
A 16-Year-Old’s Mission to Protect Seniors from Cyber Scams
“I was a victim of a cyberattack that resulted in losing a lot of money.”
After experiencing a personal cyberattack that resulted in significant financial loss, Mohmed felt compelled to give back to his Winnipeg community. Keen not to allow it to happen to others, especially seniors who he felt were most vulnerable to these scams, he organized a 3-day course on online banking safety in his community.
He joined a leadership camp with Youth Empowering Parents, who provided training, one-on-one mentorship, and funding. Mohmed then prepared workshops held at his local library in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
To spread the word, he reached out to senior organizations in his city, he talked to teachers and classmates, and he launched a digital campaign that reached over 2,000 people and generated 60 link clicks. He found a financial literacy expert who offered to attend and guide everyone in their tutoring and learning.
He had 18 participants join and learn financial literacy.
Following the success of these initial workshops, Mohmed intends to expand his initiative by hosting sessions in senior homes and inviting expert speakers for free online presentations, ensuring ongoing access to crucial digital safety information for vulnerable populations.
Youth teaching photography
A 16-year old youth leader, with a passion for photography, organized a smartphone photography course, where youth volunteers taught seniors to take diverse photos (people, objects, nature) and share them digitally. This initiative fostered both digital literacy among seniors and teaching, leadership, and communication skills among the youth volunteers.
Youth teaching painting
A 14-year old youth leader, who is exceptionally skilled in painnting, organized a water colour painting course that engaged adults and seniors. The course was held at a local community space. She taught skills such as brush strokes, colour mixing, and composition. The course was a hit!
Youth teaching technology
A 17-year old youth leader, who helped his grandparents learn and wanted to do more in his community, gathered his friends together and enrolled seniors into their technology tutoring course. They found a local space, and every week during the school year they taught seniors how to use smartphones, tablets, and computers.