High school students in the YEP 2.Pro committee recently awarded a $5,000 grant to Family Service Agency for program support addressing youth mental health and anxiety. FSA programs identified in the grant include Color Me Happy, RISE (Resilience, Inspiration, Support, Empowerment), META (Managing Emotions, Thoughts, and Actions), Early Intervention Prevention, and Social Emotional Learning Groups.

“YEP’s generous grant is not just a gift; it’s a promise of hope for the youth in our social-emotional learning groups,” said FSA’s Shatoya Jackson, Director of School Based Services and Youth Programming. “With heartfelt gratitude, we extend our deepest thanks for empowering us to make a profound impact in the lives of DeKalb County youth!”

YEP 2.Pro is a subcommittee of the DeKalb County Community Foundation’s Youth Engaged in Philanthropy (YEP) committee. Members of this proactive grant committee are juniors and seniors with one or more years of YEP membership. YEP 2.Pro explores youth issues in the community and proactively works to address them. The committee is youth-led by members and overseen by Foundation staff advisors. Members evaluate youth needs in the community, select issues to pursue and explore ways to address them. This year’s 11-member committee worked to address “mental health and anxiety in youth.”

“Our committee agreed that the organization we choose should impact a large majority of youth in Dekalb County while also making it fun and educating them about mental health,” said YEP 2.Pro Chair Steffini McDowell. “When we explored the current work of FSA, we realized they were a great match because of their numerous youth programs addressing mental health while also helping them cope with their environment.”

The YEP Horizons Unlimited Fund, a significant source of grant dollars for YEP 2.Pro Grants, is a testament to the power of community support. Established in 2021 at the DeKalb County Community Foundation, this Fund was initially a gift from Nancy D. Castle and her children. It was designed to bolster YEP’s proactive grantmaking efforts, supporting organizations, programs, and projects in DeKalb County. Additional grant dollars are generously contributed by donors to YEP during Give DeKalb County.

The mission of Youth Engaged in Philanthropy (YEP) is to improve the quality of life for youth in the community. YEP is open to all high school students in DeKalb County. Members learn about grantmaking, nonprofit organizations, the importance of philanthropy, and the value of their voices. For more information or to support these efforts, visit dekalbccf.org/yep or contact YEP Staff Advisor Noah Nordbrock at 815-748-5383.

Photo Caption: The YEP 2.Pro Committee met in March 2024 for final discussions on this year’s proactive grant addressing yotuh mental health in the community.