The Scott County Youth Grantmaking Council (?YGC?) is accepting grant applications to fund youth-related projects in the community. The YGC has at least $4,300 from the Scott County Youth Grantmaking Council Fund and the Terry Fewell Memorial Youth Fund that it may award to projects that benefit youth in Scott County. The maximum amount per request is $800, and grants must be for nonprofit organizations or other charitable causes.

Programs that the YGC will look favorably on will focus on the following six areas: community service (to support programs related to community development, citizen involvement, recreation, and general community programs and projects); social service (to support human service organizations, programs for children, youth, family, and senior citizens); health (to support programs that promote healthy environments for the youth of Scott County), education (to support programs, projects, and scholarship in pre-school, secondary, post-secondary, and special education areas), art (to support the growth and development of youth appreciation for the arts and culture) and leadership (to support the growth of youth leadership abilities). However, consideration of grant requests will not be limited to those areas.

Applications are due Wednesday, Feb. 28, at 3 p.m. Interviews will take place this spring at the Lifelong Learning Center on Community Way in Scottsburg. All applicants will be notified of the status of their request in March.

The YGC, a program of the Scott County Community Foundation, is made up of students from throughout the community who hold regular meetings, discuss ideas and hold events to raise money, and then give grants to the community for youth-related projects. The goals of the YGC are to provide opportunities for leadership development, provide positive peer support, learn about philanthropy and serving the community, form a partnership with other youth and adults, and grow their endowment fund for the future.

Last year, the YGC awarded over $8,600 in grants to Austin Elementary and Middle schools, Blessings for Prom, Lexington Good Faith Preschool, OVO Head Start, Scott County Youth Football League, Scottsburg Middle School, Vienna-Finley Elementary School and Young Marines. The YGC has awarded over $52,000 since its inception several years ago.

The application must be completed online, and is available at the Scott County Community Foundation website, www.www.scottcountyfoundation.org. Go to the Youth Council pull-down menu and select ?About the YGC? to find the link. You may contact Jaime Toppe at the Scott County Community Foundation with any questions, by calling 752-2057, email info@www.scottcountyfoundation.org or stopping in the office at 60 N. Main St., Scottsburg.