The DeKalb County Community Foundation is accepting applications to enhance soft skills education for DeKalb County middle school and high school students while working to improve employer participation in youth workforce preparation.
Donor Name: DeKalb County Community Foundation
State: Illinois
County: DeKalb County (IL)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 12/01/2023
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The Foundation is committed to workforce development in DeKalb County, IL, by supporting the enhancement of essential skills among youth. Essential Skills Incentive Grants are designed to enhance the development of soft skills or essential skills in middle school to high school-aged youth.
Purpose
Soft skills or essential skills are the social, personal, employment, and cultural skills needed to successfully communicate and relate with others. Essential skills are important tools for building solid academic and technical skills as well as strong communities and families. The DeKalb County Community Foundation is committed to supporting the enhancement of soft skills/essential skills among DeKalb County’s youth through a grant program based on the following premises:
- Essential skill development is a community-wide enterprise involving schools, parents, employers, human service organizations, peers, and other partners.
- Enhancing essential skills complements the Illinois State Board of Education requirement for local schools to incorporate social and emotional development standards as part of the Illinois Learning Standards.
- It is important to build on what is already working in schools and the broader community to foster essential skills in our community’s youth.
- The initiative promotes and supports collaboration between schools, service providers and the local work force to engage youth in developing essential skills
Areas of Emphasis
While approved applicants that complete the Essential Skills for Success Video Series will be eligible for funding, preference will be given to those applications that focus on the following areas of emphasis:
- Schools and/or recognized organizations targeted toward building essential skills for at risk youth, underserved or diverse populations that have been professionally identified through school or counseling settings
Eligibility Criteria
Grants are available to recognized organizations and/or educators (nonprofits and schools) working primarily with youth (grades 6 through 12) in DeKalb County, Illinois. Organizations who work with young adults may be considered.
General Requirements
- Grants are to incentivize schools/organizations to utilize the Essential Skills Video Series, Resource Guide, and included surveys in class/programs.
- Approved grant applicants may receive a grant up to $2,500 to assist in activities/needs related to the completion of the Essential Skills Video Series program, utilization of the resource guide along with student and teacher survey tools. Grantees will be required to submit a grant report upon completion of the program.
For more information, visit DCCF.
