The Scott County Youth Grantmaking Council (?YGC?), a program of the Scott County Community Foundation, awarded $7,033 in grants to youth-related projects in the community. The YGC is hoping to formally honor recipients at an annual dinner later this summer.

  • Austin High School received $800 for ?Life Skills in the Community.? Teacher Lee Anne Hahn will take her students on restaurant outings to help teach life and social skills.
  • EMPOWER received $300 for ?Town Hall Meeting on Resilience.? They will host a town hall meeting this fall for the release of resilience videos that will feature students in our community, along with a community discussion about trauma and the importance of building resilience.
  • Grace Christian Academy received $320 for ?Treekeepers Documenting Scott County.? The Treekeepers environmental/history class has been learning about Scott County history and the Bicentennial, and would like to document programs and events for the Scott County Heritage Center and Museum.
  • Happy Humming Alpacas 4-H Club was awarded $750 for ?Alpaca Enclosures.? This club has had a large increase in members and needs more housing for the fair.
  • Johnson Elementary School received $500 for ?Hero Program.? This initiative focuses on positive student behavior and will provide field trips as incentives.
  • Scott County Robotics received $516 for ?Building the Future.? The Scott County High School Robotics Club is a joint effort between Mid-America Science Park, Austin High School, Grace Christian Academy, and Scottsburg High School to promote robotics. They will buy supplies to prototype and test ideas, then assemble into a finished project.
  • Scott County Young Marines received $600 for ?Young Marines.? They will host a two-night encampment at Hardy Lake. This organization teaches marching, physical training, drug demand reduction, history, patriotism, and community service to youth.
  • Scott County Youth Football League received $500 for ?Youth Sponsorship.? There has been an increase in the number of families requesting financial assistance for children to play football.
  • Scottsburg High School received two grants. Jennifer Morris was awarded $500 for ?Fellowship of Christian Athletes.? They will host meetings, Bible studies and outreach events. Shawna Slaton was awarded $1,000 for ?eSports Teams.? They will purchase equipment for this newly-formed opportunity for gamers.
  • Scottsburg High School Theatre Boosters received $447 for ?Microphones for theatre program.? The high school?s drama club has had a huge increase in students with more elaborate productions and a need for additional microphones.
  • Scottsburg Middle School was awarded $800 for ?Community Based Instruction.? The special education classes will learn skills such as traffic safety, reading a menu, ordering a meal, making correct change, and social skills through restaurant outings in the community.

?Given the circumstances this year the YGC is fortunate enough to still positively impact our community through the grants given out,? said grants committee co-chairperson Hannah Brown. ?We are thankful to have such a great community that has such amazing programs! We are looking forward to the future to see how the grants impact our community.?

?As this year was different for all, the YGC is honored to still have the ability to continue to support local charitable organizations within our community. We hope that this money can have a positive impact on many lives in Scott County,? said grants committee co-chairperson Elle Fleenor.

?The YGC relies on earnings from their endowment funds as well as alumni game fundraiser proceeds, to provide these grants to the community,? said advisor Jaime Toppe. ?This year they had a high amount of requests and not enough dollars to fully fund each request. Through a matching grant opportunity from Lilly Endowment, supporters can help the youth reach more organizations. All donations to their endowment fund will be matched 50 cents for every dollar donated. You may mail your tax-deductible contribution to the Scott County Community Foundation, PO Box 25; Scottsburg, IN 47170. You may also stop in the office at 60 N. Main St., Scottsburg. For more information, call 812-752-2057 or email info@www.scottcountyfoundation.org.