Metro Philadelphia<\/p>\n
Young Philadelphians with ideas for making their schools and neighborhoods cleaner, greener and more resilient can now apply for grants<\/a> of up to $5,000 to turn those ideas into action.<\/p>\n The city and School District of Philadelphia are offering $3,000 to $5,000 grants for youth-led projects through Bloomberg Philanthropies\u2019 Youth Climate Action Fund<\/a>.<\/p>\n The program is open to people ages 15 to 24 who want to tackle environmental issues they see in their own communities. That could mean finding ways to keep neighborhoods cooler, reducing flooding, addressing illegal dumping, improving air quality or adding more green space.<\/p>\n Projects must be meaningfully led by at least two young people, organizers added.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cYoung Philadelphians know their neighborhoods. They know the challenges their communities face, and they have ideas about how we can make them better,\u201d said Mayor Cherelle Parker. \u201cOur job is to give them the opportunity and the resources to put those ideas into action.”<\/p>\n The program will support projects across five areas:<\/p>\n \u2022 Beat the Heat: Creative ways to provide indoor or outdoor cooling while conserving energy.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2022 Outsmart Flooding: Community-based projects that manage stormwater, improve water quality or reduce flood risks.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2022 Rethink Trash: Solutions focused on illegal dumping, recycling, composting or reducing waste.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2022 Clear the Air: Projects that improve awareness and understanding of outdoor air quality<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2022 Green Justice:\u00a0Tree planting, gardening, community greening and revitalization of public spaces, including vacant lots.\u00a0<\/p>\n Young people can participate through two tracks: Student groups at School District of Philadelphia<\/a> schools can propose projects on school grounds, while community-based organizations can sponsor youth-led projects in neighborhoods throughout the city.<\/p>\n Potential projects could include researching urban heat islands, creating a community rain garden, cleaning and greening a vacant lot<\/a>, installing air quality sensors, planting trees or developing community gardens.<\/p>\n \u201cFlooding, extreme heat, air quality and other climate challenges affect neighborhoods across Philadelphia, and young people should have a voice in how we respond,\u201d said Elizabeth Lankenau, director of the city’s Office of Sustainability. \u201cThrough this program, young Philadelphians can help shape solutions that strengthen their communities.\u201d<\/p>\n The city and School District will choose eight to 10 projects to receive funding. While sponsoring organizations will handle the grants and administrative work, the young people behind each project will be the ones calling the shots \u2014 from planning to implementation.<\/p>\n \u201cThese microgrants give students an opportunity to learn about climate action by putting their ideas into practice,\u201d said\u00a0Megan Garner, the school district’s Director of Sustainability and Green Schools. \u201cStudents will build knowledge and skills while developing projects that can make a meaningful difference in their schools and communities.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Selected participants will also join a cohort focused on climate action and civic innovation. They will have an opportunity to share their projects and recommendations with city and School District leaders.<\/p>\n \u201cThese microgrants give young Philadelphians the resources to test their ideas, learn what works and create solutions rooted in the needs of their own communities,\u201d said Kristie Chin, Director of the Innovation Team.\u00a0<\/p>\n Applications are due Friday, Oct. 9, at 5 p.m. Selected projects are expected to receive funding in November, and all project activities and grant spending must be completed by April 15, 2027.<\/p>\n An information session<\/a> is scheduled for Sept. 17 from 1 to 2 p.m.<\/p>\n For more information or to apply, visit philacityfund.org<\/a><\/p>\n