Local high school students recently awarded $29,220 in grants to projects designed by fellow young people through the new Northfield YouthBank initiative.

YouthBank believes that young people are well-positioned to help address the issues that impact them. Consequently, youth lead all aspects of the YouthBank process, from designing the request for proposals to reviewing applications to interviewing applicants to making the final selections.

Northfield is one of the first 7 communities in the country to launch a YouthBank – and the first in the U.S. to make grant awards!

This round, 14 groups of local youth submitted applications, requesting nearly $120,000. The five youth-led projects selected for funding were:

• Expanding a food recovery program at the Northfield Area Learning Center
• Starting a scholarship fund for teens to help cover costs like summer camps, driver’s education, and school events not covered by other sources
• Bringing a portable pump track to local schools and parks to promote off-road cycling
• Starting a Film Club at the Northfield Public Library
• Improving the playground areas in the Viking Terrace mobile home neighborhood

To learn more about YouthBank and the funded projects, CLICK HERE.

The next round of YouthBank grants will be awarded this spring. Keep checking the YouthBank website for more information!

YouthBank is a program of the Youth First initiative. Youth First is one of the flagship initiatives of Northfield Promise, supported by the City of Northfield and the Youthprise Foundation.

Learn more about YouthBank International.