Deadline extended to Monday, February 13th by 8pm!

A pool of money is available for community based projects initiated, designed and run by youth 21 and under. The Youth Action Grants Program will provide grants of up to $1,000 to any youth in Portland who want to take action that makes Our Bill of Rights: Children + Youth a reality!

Youth Projects Must:

• Help make Our Bill of Rights: Children + Youth a reality.
  The Bill of Rights is the official vision for youth rights, adopted by both City Council and County Board. Your project needs to represent one or more of the articles in the bill. Please take a look at the Sample Application for an example.

• Be planned and carried out by youth.
  Youth 21 and under should be the primary organizers of your project. Your project must also benefit youth beyond those who are organizing the project.

• Create strong youth-adult partnerships.
  You must have a sponsoring adult partner from a non-profit organization, government agency or school in order for your project to be eligible.

• Be short term.
  Grant funding must be spent within three months. Youth Grant projects must be ready to begin this spring and be completed by June 30th, 2012.

• Involve as many people as possible.
  Over 5,000 youth from all over Portland and Multnomah County were involved in creating the Our Bill of Rights: Children + Youth. We want to ensure that youth are equally engaged in taking action. You should engage as many youth and volunteers as possible. Grants MUST create strong partnership with youth and adults collaborating with one another to reach youth projects gorals. We are looking for adults who support youth success and development, not take over, so that youth leadership can thrive. If you looking for an organization to support your idea, we can help connect you.

• Be creative.
  We are seeking new, exciting and creative ideas. Be bold and use your imagination!

 Apply Now

• Youth Community Action Grants Program (PDF Document, 2,654kb)
• Youth Action Grant Application (Word Document, 311kb)

Sponsored By

We accomplish our mission by:

1. Assisting planners and other City staff to reach youth and gain youth opinion for projects that affect youth’s lives, with the ultimate goal of increasing youth voice in issues or topics that affect our future.
 
2. Working to make planning and planning projects accessible to all. “Youth-friendly is People-friendly”. Youth are able to take technical information and communicate it in a more accessible manner and language that people from many different backgrounds can understand.
 
3. Providing youth employment training in planning and development, project management, and community and civic engagement. This prepares youth for future workforce development, as well as creating great social and economic sustainability in our communities.

Youth Empowerment

“Youth empowerment is an ongoing process in which people who are experiencing oppression based on others' perceptions of their youth gain the skills, resources, information, and opportunities necessary to effect change in their own lives and the world around them.” SMYRC (Sexual Minority Resource Center)

We in the Bureau of Planning believe that youth empowerment is where youth are given power in all aspects of decision-making that affects their lives, and where youth initiate, and take the lead on projects that they’re interested in.