It's Our Money

Category: Education and Schools

Scope: Brooklyn Community Board 16 (Brownsville)

Budget: $20,000

Organization Name:

YVote Environmental Justice Action Group

Project ID: 163

Project Name: The Green Space Project

Neighborhood Communities that the Project will Serve:CB Brooklyn 16 (Brownsville)

Borough: Brooklyn

Project Description: The Green Space Project aims to implement a roof garden in a high school located within underrepresented communities such as within Brooklyn Community Board 16. The garden will be maintained and cared for by the students primarily, along with teachers who will mentor environmental friendliness and awareness.

Our project will directly benefit youth in their mental health giving them a place to escape within school, where they can release their stress. Our garden will be maintained by students who receive a stipend at the end of this project as a reward for their hard work.

Youth voters should pick this project as it encompasses two important issues that youth care about: environmental sustainability and mental health. The project also encourages community building in the process of creating and maintaining the roof garden.

What Youth are saying about the organization: Upon sharing our proposal presentation with the other members of our organization, YVote, youth stated that our idea was well thought out, organized, and useful. In voting for proposals, our project was voted first among 6 proposals by 65 high schoolers, showing the widespread support from our organization.

Organization’s Social Media. Help us spread the word about our proposal!:

https://www.facebook.com/YVoteNY

https://www.instagram.com/yvoteny/

https://twitter.com/YVoteNY

Category: Parks and Environment

Scope: Bronx Community Board 07 (Bedford Park)

Budget: $20,000

Organization Name: Books Education Organization Learning  & Life

Project ID: 171

Project Name: Recycling and Climate change Project

Neighborhood Communities that the Project will Serve: CB Bronx 07 (Bedford Park)

Borough: Bronx

Project Description: We are excited to have the opportunity to work with the youth in our communities to help show them the power they have in uniting to change our current climate conditions by beautifying their surroundings and promoting recycling at home.

Addressing the issue of Climate change through recycling together with the youths in our community. "Our youth are our future therefore it’s up to us to direct and show them hand in hand that we can help with climate change by doing the simplest of things such as recycling the items we use, not littering and educating them about agriculture and how plants are important to us and our planet."

With your help we can make the world a better place for you and at the same time you will receive a gift card from any store of your choice by participating in this project.

What Youth are saying about the organization: "Students and parents are always thankful for the various services such as our summer program, food distribution and others we provide especially as more families in the Bronx are experiencing job loss and food insecurity."

Organization’s Social Media. Help us spread the word about our proposal!:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Youth-Organization/BELL-Organization-Inc-104925987786054/

https://www.instagram.com/bellorganization/?hl=en

Category: Arts and Culture

Scope: Brooklyn Community Board 17 (East Flatbush)

Budget: $20,000

Organization: Quest Youth Organization, Inc. https://qyouth.org/

Project Name: Young Musicians In Training

Project ID: 137

Neighborhood/Communities that the project will serve: CB Brooklyn 17 (East Flatbush)

Borough: Brooklyn

Project Description: 

“Young Musicians In Training” is a leadership development program for young musicians seeking career opportunities as music scholars, music teachers, engineers and professional musicians. Youth will directly benefit from this by gaining actual hands-on work study experiences in leadership positions, developing their skills guided by adult professional music mentors.With the rise and focus on re-energizing the musical arts, there is a shortage of music teachers and community free music programs addressing this need. We are filling that gap!

COVID-19 has changed everything! The Quest staff has been here for our students and will continue to be here to help them make the necessary adjustments to stay productive, have compassion and strive to be decent human beings.

What Youth are saying about the organization: We are their extended family, where love, guidance, education and mentoring supports their dreams and aspirations.

Organization’s Social Media. Help us spread the word about our proposal!: 

https://www.facebook.com/QCitySoundz

Category: Career Exploration and Job Training

Scope: Queens Community Board 04 (Elmhurst/Corona)

Budget: $20,000

Organization Name: South Asian Youth Action (SAYA)

Project ID: 149

Project Name: Peer Mentoring for High School and College Students

Neighborhood Communities that the Project will Serve: CB Queens 04 (Elmhurst/Corona)

Borough: Queens

Project Description: Our high school participants will gain necessary skills to prepare them for a smooth, successful transition to college, while our college student mentors will learn leadership skills that will benefit them through their higher education and professional careers. Both mentors and mentees will also have the opportunity to provide input on what our project curriculum entails, to ensure the content meets their specific needs.

As a youth centered organization, SAYA has 25 years of experience providing mentorship to young people, empowering and offering them a voice and the tools to succeed in school and in life. We view our participants as co-creators of our programming, and include their input in all of our work to better serve them and our goals of sending more youth of color to college with a wealth of beneficial skills and knowledge.

SAYA has served the youth of our community since 1996. Each year over 1,500 youth from all backgrounds participate in our programs across 10 sites. Low income and first-generation students especially face numerous barriers in earning their college degrees, so we provide targeted program offerings to meet their needs and help them succeed. We are proud to report that 100% of SAYA’s class of 2020 enrolled in colleges that met their academic and personal needs, while 95% of our current college students are on track to graduate within five years.

What Youth are saying about the organization: One of our college students, currently attending CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice, spoke recently about his time at SAYA: SAYA helped me balance my mental health during the college application process. Without support from my peers and mentors, I would have struggled with time management, staying on top of the process, and writing my statement. Staying in constant contact with my mentors helped me stay organized and relieved the pressure I felt.

Another of our young women currently enrolled in college spoke about her time in the program: Being a child of immigrants, my mom really couldn't help with the college process. And since I was the first child, I really had no clue on how the college process worked. Thanks to SAYA, I had amazing mentors that held meetings with me and were available anytime to answer my questions. I had the amazing opportunity of being tutored in a small group where I got the individual attention I personally needed.

Organization’s Social Media. Help us spread the word about our proposal!:

https://www.facebook.com/southasianyouthaction

https://twitter.com/sayanyc

https://www.instagram.com/saya.nyc/

Category: Mental Health

Scope: Bronx Community Board 05 (University Heights)

Budget: $20,000

Organization: Girls Mentor Girls Inc.

Project Name: The Girls' Circle

Project ID: 130

Neighborhood/Communities that the project will serve: CB Bronx 05 (University Heights)

Borough: Bronx

Project Description: In keeping with our mission, Girls Mentor Girls will create an online space for young women of color  to support them with acquiring the mental literacy to understand and manage their emotions and feelings. The space will be facilitated by a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who will set a calming tone for participants and guide them through exercises and discussions that help them discover ways to share how current issues are impacting them emotionally, and discuss ways to invest in and prioritize their mental health.  

The group will meet twice weekly for 90 minutes, and engage in activities such as breathing exercises, stretching or meditation, and watching videos clips and  literary work to promote deep conversations around topics like depression, anxiety, addiction, suicide, self-harm, identifying unhealthy relationships, with the goal of decreasing the stigma around mental illness and increasing  health seeking efficacy.  Keeping in mind that each person is the expert of their own lives, Girls Mentor Girls will create a  brave space where youth can be transparent about how their mental health has been impacted by  their life experiences. Participants will be involved in choosing the topics to discuss and will be  provided with opportunities to participate in running portions of the meetings.