Seven Broward nonprofits awarded grants to help create hands-on employment opportunities for youth that will help them develop workforce skills and lead to future career success.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., -- (Oct. 18, 2018) – The Community Foundation of Broward has announced a combination of $293,080 in Youth Work grants aimed at helping 226 Broward youth build workforce skills that will lead to future career success.

The grants to seven Broward nonprofits are aimed at helping a large number of young people avoid getting stuck in lower wage jobs that may require them to seek public assistance.  Higher youth employment rates are also tied to lower rates of incarceration and drug use.  An additional benefit is that more of Broward’s “Best and Brightest” will remain in our community to take advantage of new opportunities.

The grants have been awarded to:‍

• The Art and Culture Center of Hollywood to hire 30 young people with a $30,000 grant to its “Arts Aspire” program of theater production and gallery assignments leading to careers in the arts.
  
• Boys and Girls Clubs of Broward County with a $50,000 grant for its “Workforce Development Initiative” to employ 20 youth in part-time jobs that provide training and certification in customer service.
• Covenant House Florida with $48,000 for its “Youth Employment Services” (YES) program to help 55 homeless youth experience 4-week paid “workforce introduction” internships to prepare them to secure permanent jobs.  The program helps participants refine their resumes and practice interviewing skills.
• FLITE Center to connect 75 current or former foster youth with a $60,000 grant for a program called “Let’s Get Ready to Work.”  The program focuses on employability skills training and career coaching to place the young people in both permanent and part-time jobs.
• The Fruitful Field with an additional $35,080 grant to its “Grow City Youth Farm and Table Internship” that will create opportunities for 14 young people to have paid internships at the farm.  Participants will learn basic theories of organic agriculture and the science of soil, seeds, growing and harvesting, in addition to training for future employment.
• Junior Achievement of South Florida to attract 25 youth with a $50,000 grant for part-time job placements as part of its “Job Developer” program.  Participants will also visit seven local businesses and learn how they can build successful careers.
• Taylor’s Closet Foundation with a $20,000 grant to bring 12 young girls on board for 40-hour paid internships at Taylor’s Closet, where they will work in the store, undertake donor services and execute administrative tasks.  Participants will also lead weekly confidence-building sessions with students at Fort Lauderdale High School.

“Grants for Youth Work programs aim to change the employment trajectory of hundreds of young people by giving them practical hands-on work experiences,” said Linda Carter, President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Broward.  “Our ultimate goal is for 1,000 youth to annually learn employment skills that help ensure future career success.  It will take local philanthropists to step up and boldly lead the way to make this goal a reality.”

For more information about the Youth Work grants made by the Community Foundation of Broward, please email Kirk Englehardt, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at the Community Foundation (kenglehardt@cfbroward.org) or call 954-761-9503.