HCI funds 10 “Investing in Youth” grants to benefit area youth

At their May and June 2013 board meetings, the Northfield Healthy Community Initiative (HCI) Board approved grants to support six projects and activities designed to benefit Northfield youth and four Service Learning projects designed by Northfield High School students.  The projects are all funded through HCI’s Investing in Youth grants program.

Funded projects included:

College Exposure Field Trip
Northfield High School 9th Grade Academy students took a field trip, visiting four different colleges: a four-year public college, a four-year private college, a community college, and a technical/vocational college.  This was planned in conjunction with the HCI Sparks inventory and site visits to local career options.

Writer’s Workshop Poetry Book
Throughout the school year, Arcadia students participating in Writer’s Workshop met off campus for a period of time each week to creatively write.  These students then compiled their collective writings from the school year into a poetry book.  Writer’s Workshop students distributed copies of the poetry book to the community organizations that supported the work of the class.

Carnival 4 Cancer
Area middle school student, Emily Liebl and friends planned and held a family-friendly event featuring a petting zoo, pony rides, silent auction, food, and games to raise money for the fight against cancer.  The event was held in early June at Emily’s home in Dennison.  There was a great turnout and the youth sent all event proceeds and donations, totaling nearly $4,000, to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

YKids Tri
This annual youth triathlon is now in its fourth year, and it grows larger each year.  It is a non-competitive event for participants (ages 6-14), who will swim, bike, and run as family and friends cheer them on.  A total of 250 participants and 500 spectators are expected at this year’s event, which is scheduled for Saturday, July 13.  For more information, click HERE.

Community Youth Fairs
Northfield Public Schools Community Services Division is planning its Community Youth Fairs, which will be held on August 14, 2013.  Each year, approximately 450 elementary and middle school-aged students and their families attend these fairs.  The goal of the events is to attract more Northfield students to participate in organized activities during non-school hours.  Local organizations will be present to share information with students and their families about various extracurricular opportunities, as well as information about scholarships that might be available to the families.  The fairs will be held at Greenvale Park Elementary School from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and at Bridgewater Elementary School from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Class Reunion for the Northfield High School Class of 2011
The class of 2011 has lost four classmates in recent months.  They are planning a two-part reunion event.  The first part of the event will be a social time for classmates.  The second half of the event will be open to the public as a tribute to lost classmates.  The reunion committee hopes this gathering can bring some healing for this community.

Northfield High School Service Learning Projects

Service learning is a teaching method that enriches learning by engaging students in meaningful service to their schools and communities.  HCI agreed to fund four Investing in Youth grants to aid service projects developed by students at Northfield High School.  All students were enrolled in Sarah Swan-McDonald’s Service Learning Class, which concludes its semester with group service projects.  These projects included:

Soles4Souls Shoe Drive
Students held a shoe drive to collect and send shoes to Zimbabwe, Haiti, and the Republic of Congo, where youth are not permitted to attend public school unless they have shoes to wear.  Northfield students collected nearly 300 pairs of gently used shoes for donation to this cause.

Mock Crash Follow-Up Pledge to Not Drink and Drive
This project was designed to raise awareness of the dangers of drunk driving and to seek written pledges from Northfield students not to drink and drive.  This project was designed in conjunction with the mock crash event held at the Northfield High School just prior to the end of the school year.

African Library Project
Service Learning students, with support of all area school media centers, held a book drive and a campaign to raise awareness about illiteracy.  Through the African Library Project, donated books were sent to communities in Africa for distribution.

Encouragement Wall
This project was designed to promote a positive atmosphere at Northfield High School.  Service Learning students put up a plexiglass wall and invited other students and staff to share positive comments in relation to various daily prompts.  Comments were written in marker on the plexiglass wall.  This wall was in place at the school during the last several weeks of the school year.

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HCI offers Investing in Youth grants to projects and activities that:

• provide the opportunity for young people to develop positive intergenerational relationships with caring adults and/or
• connect Northfield youth with their communities (ex. neighborhood, school, wider Northfield)

Applications are reviewed monthly and are due by the 8th of the month.  Visit www.northfieldhci.org/investinginyouthgrants for more information and to access the easy-to-complete application.

Funding for the HCI Investing in Youth grants program comes from the Northfield Hospital & Clinics, Northfield Area United Way, MMIC Health IT, and Allina Medical Clinic-Northfield.