The Scott County Youth Grantmaking Council (?YGC?), a program of the Scott County Community Foundation, awarded $7,339 in grants to youth-related projects in the community at an annual dinner held June 5 at Mid-America Science Park.
Austin Middle School received $800 for ?Life Skills in the Community.? Teacher Lee Anne Hahn will take her students on restaurant outings to help teach life and social skills.
Community Action of Southern Indiana received $1,000 for ?Life Literacy Academy.? Students will travel to the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, learn the history of the Civil Rights Movement, and get the opportunity to interact with others with whom they would not naturally interact.
EMPOWER received $850 for ?Prescription Drug Lockboxes.? They will purchase lockboxes to securely store prescription medication and prevent potential misuse by children and youth. The lockboxes will be distributed during community health events that educate youth and families on the dangers of prescription drug abuse as well as prevention strategies.
Scott County 4-H received $1,000 for ?4-H Opportunity Scholarships? for summer camp, Hiefer International and Teens as Teachers.
Scottsburg High School received three grants. Teacher Susan Jerrell was awarded $614 for ?A Boost for the Booster? to provide printing costs for the school newspaper.
Teacher Jennifer Morris was awarded $575 for ?Fellowship of Christian Athletes Relaunch.? They will host meetings, Bible studies and outreach events to relaunch this club.
Morris also received $1,000 for the ?PBIS/Hero Project,? which will provide incentives for positive behavior.
Scottsburg Middle School received $1,000 for the ?Warrior Project.? This new incentive-based program strives to provide social, emotional, academic and behavior support to students.
Warrior Nation Touchdown Club was awarded $500 for reconditioning and painting of helmets for the middle and high school football teams.
?There was a lot of consideration and thinking into all applying organizations,? said grants committee co-chairperson Elle Fleenor. ?It brought out the opinions of all YGC members, which is always extremely important. This process not only is helping organizations to better Scott County, but it also brought the YGC voting council together through a careful discussion and decision. I can say that in the end, we are all very proud of the organizations we decided to grant, and we can?t wait to see where they go.?
?All members of the YGC are very proud of where our money has gone, and we can?t wait to see how those organizations give back to the community,? said grants committee co-chairperson Hannah Brown. ?We are so thankful to help our community in this way, and give back in any way that may be possible. We are looking forward to seeing how each organization will take their ideas, and transform Scott County into the amazing place we call home.?
?The YGC relies on earnings from their endowment funds as well as alumni game fundraiser proceeds, to provide these grants to the community,? said advisor Jaime Toppe. ?This year they had a high amount of requests and not enough dollars to fully fund each request. Through a matching grant opportunity from Lilly Endowment, supporters can help the youth reach more organizations. All donations to their endowment fund will be matched 50 cents for every dollar donated. You may mail your tax-deductible contribution to the Scott County Community Foundation, PO Box 25; Scottsburg, IN 47170. You may also stop in the office at 60 N. Main St., Scottsburg. For more information, call 812-752-2057 or email info@www.scottcountyfoundation.org.
