Now that we’re heading into the spring semester of the school year, many kids and teens are looking for volunteer opportunities.  But finding the right one can be hard - and many organizations have minimum ages for volunteers. A 10-year-old with a great idea might not be able to volunteer directly with the nonprofit of their choice, while a 16-year-old with a busy schedule might not be able to volunteer at the times available.  What’s a youth to do?

Glad you asked! One of Kenosha County’s best-kept secrets is this: If you’re under 18 and have an idea for a community service project to make life better here, you can get a grant of up to $500 (!!!) to bring your dreams to life.  It’s all thanks to a nonprofit organization called Youth as Resources (YAR).

Here’s the best part: This spring, YAR has thousands of dollars to give away!  There are two upcoming grant rounds:

Start with the good stuff: How does this work?

It’s SUPER simple: 

1. Be a Kenosha County resident in grades K-12 (yes, kindergartners count!), or a youth group in the same age group.  (Many grant recipients are school clubs, such as Key Clubs or NHS groups.)
2. Think of a need you’ve seen in the community - unhoused people who might be cold at night, shelter animals in need of toys, etc.
   1. Need some ideas to get started?  Check here.
3. Think of a way you can help, then fill out and submit the grant application.
4. Present your idea to the YAR Board, who will then vote on the amount of money they’d like to award you.
5. Use that money to complete your service project, documenting the process along the way.
6. Submit a summary of your project, including photos, stories, statistics, and whatever else you want to include, so the YAR Board can see what you did!

What are some projects that YAR has funded in the past?

YAR has funded, in whole or in part: 

• KPL’s Little Free Food Pantries, which provide food and hygiene products to anyone who needs them.
• Jaxson’s Toy Drive, providing holiday cheer (and toys!) for children who otherwise wouldn’t receive any.
• A Little Free Library for Lakeview Technology Academy, which doesn’t have a full library on campus.
• Plants and decorations for Archwood Senior Living, to give comfort to residents who miss gardening.
• A “giving garden” at Prairie Lane Elementary School, whose produce is donated to the Shalom Center.
• Hygiene kits that were distributed at the Shalom Center.
• Tie blankets that were distributed at the Sharing Center.

As you can see, projects can take many different forms!  As long as it helps people in Kenosha County, and you’re passionate about it, YAR wants to help.

I want more background. Just what is YAR?

Youth as Resources (YAR) is a teen-run grant-giving program that awards grants of up to $500 to kids and teens interested in doing service projects to benefit Kenosha County.  Any Kenosha County resident in grades K-12 (yes, even kindergartners!) can brainstorm a way to help the community, ask for money, and make a real change for their neighbors. You can read more about the organization’s history here.

Is it ACTUALLY run by teens?

Sure is!  While there are adult board members who help guide conversations where appropriate, they’re in the minority.  All of the executive board positions - president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer - are high-schoolers, and they run YAR’s monthly meetings.  

As one of the adult board members (hi!), I cannot overstate just how focused and mature my fellow board members are. I’m perpetually impressed by the passion and dedication they bring to their work, as well as their excellent communication skills.  These teens come from different high schools in different towns, with different backgrounds and life goals, and they work together like they’ve known each other for years.

Is it associated with the Kenosha Public Library?

YAR’s parent organizations are actually the United Way of Kenosha County and UW Extension Kenosha County. That said, one of the adult board members is a KPL librarian.  (That’s me, Miss Amy Rae!  You might remember me from a desk in the children’s area or the kajillions of blog posts I write. 😉) 

But even if that wasn’t the case, YAR’s goals align perfectly with KPL’s: This is an organization that’s inspiring learning, strengthening neighborhoods, and keeping people curious.  We’re excited to see what kinds of creative, compassionate service learning projects KPL kids and teens come up with!

I have more questions.

Awesome!  In addition to its regular board members, YAR also has a coordinator, Camille Carlson, from UW Extension.  You can contact her at camille.carlson@wisc.edu for further information on getting involved.