ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today announced applications are now being accepted for Fiscal Year 2025 Youth Engagement Programming (YEP!) grants. The YEP! initiative aims to build avenues for young people to become more connected to their families, friends, and mentors through programs. The grant application can be found online and completed applications and all supporting materials, must be submitted via email to yep@howardcountymd.gov by no later than 11:59 p.m., Tuesday, September 10, 2024.
Through our transformative YEP! program, more than 8,000 young people have participated in free and low-cost programming supported by nonprofit community organizations. As we celebrate this achievement, we continue to see the tremendous need for robust programs and engagement opportunities for young people across Howard County. By creating these opportunities outside of school hours and addressing the core needs of our youth, we will ensure that young people feel safe, welcomed, supported and encouraged to be their best selves.
Launched by Ball in 2023, YEP! grants are intended to provide nonprofit community organizations with the necessary resources to establish or enhance out-of-school programming and engagement opportunities for Howard County’s young people. These programs should offer participants the opportunity to be more active and engaged with their peers in a safe, supportive and nurturing environment.
To be considered for a YEP! grant, applicants must:
- Be a nonprofit organization in good standing that provides direct services to the residents of Howard County;
- Offer free or low-cost youth programming at least monthly over the course of 12 months; and
- Programming must engage youth in activities during times when they are not in school, including on weekends, after-school hours and during the summertime.
The minimum grant award is $5,000 and the maximum grant award is $50,000. YEP! grant recipients may use this funding to either create new programs or expand existing programs that are already offered. If grant funding is to be used to expand existing programming, an applicant’s proposal must demonstrate how YEP! grant funding will contribute to increased youth engagement in Howard County.
Additionally, grant recipients are required to track performance data on programs and submit quarterly reports to the Office of the County Executive detailing their program outcomes. Required performance measures include, but are not limited to, the number of young people served, the geographic impact of the program(s) and the age of youth served.
The Office of the County Executive is hosting a virtual public information session on the FY25 YEP! Grant application on Thursday, August 22, 2024, at 6:00PM. This is an opportunity for potential grant applicants to learn more about the program and ask questions about the grant application. To register for the information session, please sign up to attend here.
To learn more about YEP! grants, visit www.howardcountymd.gov/county-executive/youth-engagement-programming-grants. For any questions about the YEP! grant or application process, contact the Office of the County Executive at 410-313-3939 or email yep@howardcountymd.gov.