Deadline: 20-Dec-2024
The Island Health is accepting submissions for the Youth Resilience Grants Program to help improve mental well-being and build youth resilience to challenging life events.
Factors
- Applications should focus on promoting protective factors, specifically:
- Connections to one or more stable and supportive adults
- Initiatives focused on developing and supporting stable relationships between youth and caring adults could include, but are not limited to:
- Skill-building for parents, caregivers, mentors, coaches
- Cultural activities that promote connection between Elders and youth
- Youth mentorship programs
- Initiatives focused on developing and supporting stable relationships between youth and caring adults could include, but are not limited to:
- Belonging to a family, community or school:
- A sense of belonging to family, community (broadly defined) or school increases resilience by providing the acceptance and identity necessary for healthy development. A sense of belonging can also provide a critical social support network to help children and youth manage stressful situations. Initiatives that increase belonging among youth could include, but are not limited to those that:
- Facilitate youth-led advocacy and/or mental health promotion initiatives (e.g., climate change or anti-racism projects)
- Facilitate participation in sports teams, drama productions, music, bands and involvement with youth groups or other programs that foster caring and supportive friendships
- Social improvements in a school community to enhance connectedness, belonging and/or safety
- A sense of belonging to family, community (broadly defined) or school increases resilience by providing the acceptance and identity necessary for healthy development. A sense of belonging can also provide a critical social support network to help children and youth manage stressful situations. Initiatives that increase belonging among youth could include, but are not limited to those that:
- Connection to culture:
- Values, practices and beliefs learned though culture can help children and youth overcome challenging situations. Connection to culture can also contribute to a sense of personal identity and belonging, and provide social connection to others who may be able to provide support in times of adversity. Initiatives aimed at improving youth connection to culture may include, but are not limited to:
- Fine arts, language, traditional food acquisition and preparation
- Intergenerational activities
- Faith-based and spiritual activities
- Activities that increase connection to land and water
- Values, practices and beliefs learned though culture can help children and youth overcome challenging situations. Connection to culture can also contribute to a sense of personal identity and belonging, and provide social connection to others who may be able to provide support in times of adversity. Initiatives aimed at improving youth connection to culture may include, but are not limited to:
- Autonomy, competence and purpose:
- Autonomy, competence and purpose refers to children and youth increasing their ability to think and make decisions, display self-compassion and take meaningful action on their goals. Activities to increase children and youth’s sense of autonomy, competence and purpose could include, but are not limited to:
- Skills training — such as first-aid or trades-related training — that improves employability
- Supports to assist in overcoming academic barriers
- Tangible and emotional support to enhance opportunities for youth to pursue a chosen passion
- Programs aimed at the development of self-compassion and mental health promotion
- Youth volunteer opportunities
- Autonomy, competence and purpose refers to children and youth increasing their ability to think and make decisions, display self-compassion and take meaningful action on their goals. Activities to increase children and youth’s sense of autonomy, competence and purpose could include, but are not limited to:
- Social and emotional learning and skills:
- Developing emotional intelligence allows children and youth to manage their emotions and reduce consequences of not addressing their feelings. Initiatives aimed to increase children and youth’s social and emotional competence include, but are not limited to:
- Group sessions that teach social and emotional learning (i.e., self-regulatory, growth mindset and problem-solving skills) or other life skills for youth, as well as for educators or parents/caregivers
- Peer mentorship campaigns or youth-led committees that promote safety, inclusivity and respect of diverse student groups
- Connections to one or more stable and supportive adults
Funding Information
- To expand collaborative opportunities, for the third year Island Health is allocating up to $450,000 for Youth Resilience Grants
- Resilience grants of up to $50,000 are available to launch new and innovative projects/programs in communities across the Island Health region.
Eligibility Criteria
- Youth resilience Grants provide the opportunity for schools, school districts, Parent Advisory Councils, youth-led groups, not-for-profit organizations, local government organizations, Indigenous-led organizations and communities to apply for one-time funding to improve resilience among youth up to age 19.
- Youth Resilience Grants are not intended to fund ongoing or existing programs.
Selection Criteria
- Proposals that incorporate the following principles or components are encouraged:
- Youth-led initiatives
- Equity, diversity and inclusion (e.g., inclusive learning environments, cultural sensitivity, anti-racism, social justice)
- Rural and remote communities within Island Health
- Indigenous wellness or ways of knowing and being
- Health practices (e.g., sleep hygiene, access to nature, physical activity, skill-building, access to culture, healthy eating, etc.)
- Holistic health and/or mental health promotion
- Harm reduction (e.g., safer sex supplies, peer education, social pressures, time away from technology, etc.)
Ineligibility Criteria
- Out of scope
- Ongoing initiatives that already exist within the Island Health community
- Ongoing initiatives that already exist with a current Island Health partner
- New or ongoing initiatives that are not within Island Health’s geographic area
- New or ongoing initiatives that do not directly include the target population, which is youth up to age 19
- Capital or administrative expenses greater than 10 per cent of the entire grant amount
For more information, visit Island Health.