The New York State Office of Children and Family Services announces $2 million in grant funding for youth organizations in 17 counties statewide and New York City to provide positive and productive activities for youth and young adults. The funds are being made available as part of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s first-in-the-nation gun violence emergency and prevention effort, which is investing $138 million in projects to engage at-risk youth. They will be disbursed to community organizations to provide positive youth development programming as an alternative to street gangs and the gun violence associated with them.
OCFS Commissioner Sheila J. Poole said, “We must seek every opportunity to stem gang activity and street violence that harms our children and families and tears apart the fabric of our communities. We need culturally relevant and locally designed alternatives that attract young people to activities which enrich them while allowing them to understand the positive contributions they can make to their neighborhoods and community. These grants will help spark new strategies based upon the input of youth and trusted community members.”
The funding will be administered through county youth bureaus and the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (NYC DYCD). Grants of up to $50,000 each will support positive development activities for youth and young adults aged 14 to 24 who are at risk of being perpetrators or victims of gun violence in neighborhoods experiencing high gun violence.
OCFS Deputy Commissioner of Youth Development and Partnerships for Success Nina Aledort said, “These funds are targeted to hyper-local programs that know how to reach youth who are at risk of perpetrating gun violence and can provide meaningful alternatives that can steer them away from violence and onto a path toward success.”
Programs eligible for funding include:
• STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics)
• Sports
• Visual and spoken word art
• Civic engagement
• Restorative justice
• Youth leadership
To be eligible, programs must be available at extended hours, on weekends or at times when gun violence most often occurs. Organizations interested in receiving a grant should contact their county youth bureau. Counties eligible for funding include:
• Albany
• Broome
• Chautauqua
• Dutchess
• Erie
• Monroe
• Nassau
• New York City’s five boroughs
• Niagara
• Oneida
• Onondaga
• Orange
• Rensselaer
• Rockland
• Schenectady
• Suffolk
• Ulster
• Westchester
