April 15, 2025
Grants fund community projects promoting service, well-being
Students in the Springfield City chapter of the Youth Empowerment Project presented $10,000 in grants today at the offices of Empower: abilities. The grants fund projects that serve youth and promote their involvement in community service.
Supported by the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, YEP is designed to instill core values of grantmaking, service, education and fundraising in high school and middle school students.
Sixteen high school students from Greenwood Laboratory School, Springfield Catholic High School and Kickapoo High School participate in the Springfield City YEP chapter.
The six nonprofits receiving grants are:
- American Indian Center of Springfield: $2,025 to support Indigenous youth by enhancing its Youth Drum Group Program that enables demonstration of Native American Powwow drumming to communities.
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield: $1,500 to support a Mental Health Awareness Day event in May, hosted by its Torch and Keystone Clubs, that will allow youth and families to explore mental health topics, reduce stigma and access resources to promote emotional well-being.
- Empower: abilities: $1,200 to enhance its Pre-Employment Transition Services program, which is designed to equip students ages 14–21 with essential workforce-readiness skills such as communication and customer service.
- Isabel’s House: $2,400 for its HOPE Totes program, which supports families in crisis and provides essential items such as socks, hygiene kits and gift cards.
- Ozarks Food Harvest: $1,000 to support its Weekend Backpack Program, which provides weekend meals to food-insecure children in southwest Missouri.
- The Rebound Foundation: $1,875 to educate youth on intimate partner violence and raise awareness through workshops, peer groups and community partnerships.
“Throughout the school year, the students learned all about nonprofits and toured a few of them while launching their very own grant program,” said Rachel Tripp, community impact coordinator for the CFO. Tripp is the Springfield City YEP chapter sponsor and oversees the YEP program. “Evaluating grant applications and selecting recipients was a great learning experience. I look forward to having the juniors return next year, and I’m so very proud of our graduating seniors — they will do amazing things.”
In addition to the Springfield City chapter, YEP currently engages students in 10 chapters at rural schools across the region. Learn more at cfozarks.org/yep.
