Denver, CO – Rose Youth Foundation, a grantmaking initiative of Rose Community Foundation, has awarded $60,000 in grants to 12 projects in three priority areas:
- Inspiring Jewish youth to become involved and stay involved in Jewish life
- Supporting refugees in adapting to life in Greater Denver and Boulder and becoming self-sufficient
- Supporting teen mental health
The grants were awarded at a celebration on May 5 for members of Rose Youth Foundation, their families and grant recipients. Since its inception in 2001, Rose Youth Foundation has granted $580,600 to organizations serving the seven-county Denver/Boulder community.
This year’s grantmaking team was a 23-member group of Jewish youth in grades 10 through 12 from 12 different schools, representing a wide range of Jewish backgrounds. Meeting since November 2012, the group discussed Jewish values and teachings and learned about strategic philanthropy and community needs. In February, Rose Youth Foundation issued a Request for Proposals, which yielded 17 requests totaling $162,797. Rose Youth Foundation’s members reviewed the proposals, made site visits and reached decisions on which projects they would fund.
Following is a list of Rose Youth Foundation’s 2013 grants and descriptions of the projects for which the grant funds will be used. Locations indicate the organization’s headquarters, not necessarily the geographic area served.
Inspiring Jewish Youth to Become Involved and Stay Involved in Jewish Life
Ekar Farm (Denver): $3,230 to create a youth-planned and led day of Jewish learning and environmental activism in celebration of Earth Day 2014.
Jewish Student Connection (Denver): $4,000 to support expansion of Jewish Student Connection clubs to two high schools in Boulder.
Jewish Youth Professionals Council (Denver): $5,300 to support a community-wide teen Shabbaton and teen council. Jewish Student Connection serves as fiscal sponsor.
Temple Sinai (Denver): $7,000 to create a cross-communal leadership development and community service teen program for 11th and 12th graders, in partnership with The Denver Synagogue at BMH-BJ, Hebrew Educational Alliance and Temple Emanuel.
Supporting Refugees in Adapting to Life in Greater Denver and Boulder and Becoming Self-sufficient
African Community Center (Denver): $6,300 to support a summer college readiness, leadership development and community service program for refugee youth.
Colorado African Organization (Denver): $6,000 to support onsite babysitting during adult English as a Second Language and citizenship education classes.
Ecumenical Refugee and Immigrant Services (Denver): $6,000 to support a job placement and computer literacy program for refugees.
Jewish Family Service of Colorado (Denver): $5,000 to support English as a Second Language classes, a citizenship training program and case management for refugees.
Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains (Denver): $5,770 to support job training and placement for refugees.
Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning (Denver): $5,400 to train refugee youth as health educators and health navigators for refugee elders.
Supporting Teen Mental Health
Jewish Family Service (Denver): $3,000 to fund the KidSuccess program to provide mental health counseling in public high schools.
Second Wind Fund (Denver): $3,000 to support operations in the seven-county metro Denver area for this organization in their work to provide suicide prevention counseling to teenagers.
Jewish youth who will be in grades 10 through 12 in the 2013-2014 academic year, and who are interested in participating in Rose Youth Foundation can contact Sarah Indyk at 303.398.7416 to learn more.