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HomeMy WebLinkAbout4.5 Youth Mini Grant Program Funding Allocations (2)STAFF REPORT CITY COUNCIL Page 1 of 3 Agenda Item 4.5 DATE:January 12, 2021 TO:Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers FROM:Linda Smith, City Manager SUBJECT:Youth Mini Grant Program Funding Allocations Prepared by: Bridget Amaya, Assistant Parks and Community Services Director EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The City Council will consider approving the Youth Advisory Committee Mini Grant Program recommended funding allocations. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Adopt the Resolution Approving Funding Recommendations for Fiscal Year 2020-21 for the Youth Advisory Committee Mini Grant Program. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The City of Dublin Youth Mini Grant Program is supported by the General Fund in the amount of $2,500 for Fiscal Year 2020-21. DESCRIPTION: The Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) established the Mini Grant Program in Fiscal Year 2012-13 to support youth organizations that offer programs for middle and high school students other than those offered by the Parks and Community Services Department. Each year, Dublin-based youth organizations and clubs have an opportunity to apply for grant funding to assist them in offering activities to the community including performing arts, sports, multicultural awareness, health awareness, or other activities that support projects benefiting Dublin youth. Funding is recommended annually by the YAC, confirmed by the Parks and Community Services Commission, and awarded by the City Council to the organizations and clubs that best meet the needs of Dublin youth. At a Special Meeting on March 5, 2020, the City Council opted to increase funding for the Youth Mini-Grant program from $1,600 to $2,500. The increase in funding was incorporated into the Fiscal Year 2020-21 operating budget. 54 Page 2 of 3 The Youth Mini Grant application was placed online Friday, October 2, 2020, with a submittal deadline of November 13, 2020. The program was advertised via social media, the City’s website, and a City newsflash, and was sent to Committee members to assist with publicity. At its Special Meeting on December 9, 2020, the YAC received presentations and used a criteria form (Attachment 1) to review, rate, and develop funding recommendations for each of the following applicants: 1. Dublin High School Seniors 2. Dublin High School Patch Club 3. Quarry Lane Economic and Financial Literacy Club 4. Dublin HOSA (Health Occupation Students of America) 5. Gardeners of the Galaxy 6. Quarry Lane Environmental Club After the presentations, the Committee members deliberated and recommended funding amounts for each of the six organizations as follows: Upon completion of their projects, grant recipients will have two weeks from the conclusion of their projects to complete a brief project report on how the funds were used and the number of youth the funds impacted. Grantees are encouraged to provide photos, testimonials, and/or flyers used to promote their projects. Those who do not submit a report in a timely fashion may not be considered for future Youth Mini Grants. At their December 21, 2020 meeting, the Parks and Community Services Commission confirmed the selections made by the YAC and recommended the funding allocations to City Council. Organization Grant Amount Requested FY20-21 Grant Proposal YAC Funding Recommendation YAC Committee Members' Points Average DHS Senior $1,000 Senior Ball $700 11.7 DHS Patch Club $450 Child Abuse Awareness & Blanket Making $380 13.0 Economic & Financial Literacy Club $1,000 Educational Material pertaining to financial Literacy $400 12.0 Dublin HOSA $250 Science experiments @ home $200 12.6 Gardeners of the Galaxy $1,500 Trays, soil, seeds to grow Microgreens $480 11.4 Quarry LaneEnvironmental Club $700 Environmental Magazine & Podcast & Earth Day $340 12.2 Totals $4,900 $2,500 55 Page 3 of 3 STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVE: None. NOTICING REQUIREMENTS/PUBLIC OUTREACH: The City Council Agenda was posted, and a copy of this Staff Report was sent to the applicants. ATTACHMENTS: 1) Resolution Approving Funding Recommendations for Fiscal Year 2020-21 for the Youth Advisory Committee Mini Grant Program 2) YAC Mini Grant Rating Form 3) Fiscal Year 2020-21 Mini Grant Applications and Proposals 56 Attachment 1 Reso. No. XX-21, Item X.X, Adopted 1/12/21 Page 1 of 2 RESOLUTION NO. XX – 21 APPROVING FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020-21 YOUTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINI GRANT PROGRAM WHEREAS,the City received six applications for the Fiscal Year 2020-21 Youth Advisory Committee Mini Grant Program; and WHEREAS,the total amount of funding requested exceeds funding availability; and WHEREAS, funding sources for the Youth Advisory Committee Mini Grant Program are provided for in the adopted City of Dublin General Fund Budget; and WHEREAS,on December 9, 2020, the Youth Advisory Committee recommended six youth organizations/clubs to receive grant funding through the Youth Advisory Committee Mini Grant Program; and WHEREAS,on December 21, 2020, the Parks and Community Services Commission reviewed the Youth Advisory Committee’s funding allocations to six youth organizations/clubs; and WHEREAS,the Parks and Community Services Commission has provided the City Council with funding recommendations for the Fiscal Year 2020-21 Youth Advisory Committee Mini Grant Program. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Dublin does hereby approve the Youth Advisory Committee Mini Grant Program funding allocation for Fiscal Year 2020-21 as follows: ORGANIZATION/ CLUB NAME CITY COUNCIL APPROVED FUNDING Dublin High School Senior Class $700 Dublin High School Patch Club $380 Economic and Financial Literacy Club $400 Dublin HOSA $200 Gardeners of the Galaxy $480 Quarry Lane Environmental Club $340 Total Recommended Amount $2,500 PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 12th day of January 2021, by the following vote: 57 Reso. No. XX-21, Item X.X, Adopted 1/12/21 Page 2 of 2 AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: ______________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _________________________________ City Clerk 58 City of Dublin Youth Advisory Comm ittee Mini Grant Rating Form Attachment 2 Organization:______________________________ Program:_______________________________ PROPOSAL SCORE Maximum of 15 points RECOMMEND FUNDING Yes No  Total Requested Total Recommended RECOMMENDING FUNDING FOR THE FOLLOWING YOUTH ACTIVITIES:(CHECK ONE). SCHOOL CLUB SPORT ORGANIZATION  PERFORMING ARTS CULTURAL AWARENESS HEALTH AWARENESS OTHER YOUTH ACTIVITY/ORGANIZATION___________________ THE WORD “PROGRAM”IS USED BELOW ON THIS FORM TO INCLUDE SERVICES,ACTIVITIES OR IMPROVEMEN TS. 1.Organization/Management Youth benefitting from or involved with the project must include 75% Dublin residents who are of middle school or high school age. The youth organization/group,as presented in the application,is able to achieve the stated goals and outcomes. The youth organization/group has completed all required aspects of the application process. The youth organization/group has an adult sponsor that assists in the management or oversight of the organization/group. (Maximum of 5) ______ 2.Needs/Benefi t The recipients are the appropriate target group (75%Dublin youth). The applicant provides an activity to Dublin residents that other organizations do not provide. Applicant’s proposed activity supports projects and programs serving or benefitting Dublin youth. The applicant collaborates with other youth-oriented organizations. (Maximum of 5) ______ 3.Funding/Budget The youth organization/group described in detail what the funds will be used for. The youth organization/group described how they will provide verification to the YAC that the funds were used as proposed. (Maximum of 5) ______ 59 11/17/2020 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/3880 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/3880 2/3 Name of Organization/Club:* Address1* City*State*Zip* Phone:* Primary Contact Person (Name & Title):* Phone:*Email:* Adult Sponsor (Name & Title):* Phone: *Email:* Amount Requesting:* Number of People in Organization:* Percent of Dublin Youth Participants:* Dublin High School Senior Dublin California 94568 Dilsher Singh, Senior Class President Michael D'Ambrosio, Activities Director $1000 735 95 60 11/17/2020 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/3880 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/3880 3/3 Yes No Did the Youth Organization/Club receive grant funding in the past?* If yes, please explain how the funding from the Youth Mini Grants was used; if the goals were met; and the impact on the program. I have reviewed the proposal, and to the best of my knowledge, the funds requested from the City of Dublin will be used to provide the services described in this Request for Proposal. I also attest that the above-named organization/club have not received a grant from the City of Dublin within the past year. Adult Sponsor's Acknowledgement *Date: * Michael D'Ambrosio 11/13/2020 61 Youth Mini-Grant Proposal 2020: Dublin High School Senior Class Funds We are the Senior Class of 2021 at Dublin High School, consisting of 735 Dublin students. We are in charge of keeping our class updated with any news along with planning a variety of class events, including but not limited to fundraisers, bonding events, senior ball, graduation, and baccalaureate. This year, we had to start running things a little differently due to COVID-19. However, we have already had one fundraiser and one bonding event, and we are currently planning to hold a social-distanced movie night for our seniors. Our senior bonding event was hosted at Meadowlark Dairy which had one of the largest turnout rates for a customized Senior class cone out of all neighboring school’s bonding events. As the senior class officers, we understand that many students in our class are currently experiencing a lot of despair and sorrow due to a lack of human connection. Not being together to go through our final year of high school has dented our bond as a class, and we hope that with this money, we can help uplift all of our spirits. We have grown up with a lot of classmates and to think that we may not even graduate together is something that we hope won’t happen. Even if this happens to be the case a few months from now, we hope that our class still could have had some relaxing yet exciting events, especially during the stressful season of college applications. With the funds we receive and all the money we raise, we hope that the money will not just impact the senior class but also Dublin High and our community. We would be able to leave a lasting impact on the school by setting a precedent for future officers and classes. These are unparalleled times, but the money granted by the Youth Advisory Committee can allow the senior class to set an example for the underclassmen at DHS by showing them that anything is possible. 62 Our class has lost the opportunity to participate in many events such as Senior sunrise, homecoming, and attending football games. The lack of school spirit and school events has resulted in lower funds for our senior class. We are trying to recover from our losses, so we hope to utilize the funds from the Youth Advisory Committee to formalize a budget that allows for an eventful second-semester senior year. We’re currently trying to raise enough money for our senior ball, which is an event that we seniors have been looking forward to since we first entered high school. Because junior prom was canceled, we aspire to create a senior ball that is unforgettable to help make up for our lost junior and senior memories. Aside from just having enough funds for our senior ball, hopefully, the funds awarded will permit us to have safer and social-distanced events to help bring not only the Dublin High seniors but also the community along with it. In order to ensure that we are using the funds appropriately, we look forward to keeping in contact with the Youth Advisory Committee to make sure that they are updated with where the funds are going. If money from the grant will be used towards our senior ball, we will make sure to show the Committee all the decorations and other items we purchase using the money. If money from the grant will be used in the near future, then it will most likely be used for bonding events. For all these events, we will send pictures to the Committee, demonstrating proof that the money was used for the event and to show proof that we are socially distanced and wearing masks. Additionally, all pictures will be given permission to publicly post in order to show the community what we are doing for our seniors. 63 11/17/2020 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/3879 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/3879 2/3 Name of Organization/Club:* Address1* City*State*Zip* Phone:* Primary Contact Person (Name & Title):* Phone:*Email:* Adult Sponsor (Name & Title):* Phone: *Email:* Amount Requesting:*Number of People in Organization:* Percent of Dublin Youth Participants:* Dublin High School Plushies Aimed to Comfort Hearts (PATCH) Club Dublin CA 94568 Caitlyn Loo - President Julianne Sundstrom $450 60 100% 64 11/17/2020 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/3879 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/3879 3/3 Yes No Did the Youth Organization/Club receive grant funding in the past?* If yes, please explain how the funding from the Youth Mini Grants was used; if the goals were met; and the impact on the program. I have reviewed the proposal, and to the best of my knowledge, the funds requested from the City of Dublin will be used to provide the services described in this Request for Proposal. I also attest that the above-named organization/club have not received a grant from the City of Dublin within the past year. Adult Sponsor's Acknowledgement *Date: * Since its establishment in 2016, PATCH has collected and donated over 2,000 stuffed animals to a local child abuse center, hosted Blanket and Scarf Making projects and three child abuse awareness campaigns (Wear Blue Thursday, Speak Up, and Take a Stand) and assembled care packages for victims of child abuse. With our YAC grant of $500 during the 2017-2018 school year, PATCH hosted a Child Abuse Awareness Campaign at DHS - “Take a Stand.” $250 was used to purchase stickers for a fundraiser, and the rest of the grant was used for printing awareness materials. The campaign was a huge success. All of our project objectives and goals were met - we were able to directly benefit Dublin teens by building awareness of child abuse and by giving them opportunities to help serve and give back to the community. We even had a few teens (and even a few adults) come forward and share with us that they had been abused and that they appreciated what we were doing because it gave them hope, strength, and comfort for the future. Our club has received lots of support from civic leaders, school faculty members, business owners, family, and friends. We are so thankful that the YAC grant enabled us to make such an impact and look forward to expanding that impact through our upcoming projects. In 2019, PATCH was again awarded with a generous YAC grant, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we were unfortunately unable to follow-through with our 2019 Blanket Making Project. Julianne Sundstrom 11/13/2020 65 November 13, 2020 Dear City of Dublin and Youth Advisory Committee, Dublin High School’s PATCH (Plushies Aimed to Comfort Hearts) Club respectfully requests a Youth Mini Grant of $450 for our 2021 Child Abuse Awareness Campaign and Blanket Making Project in April. My name is Caitlyn Loo, and I am the President of the PATCH Club at Dublin High School. The purpose of PATCH is to help raise awareness about children in crisis in our community and to help abused children by providing them with a “comfort item.” The club was founded at DHS in 2016 by my older sister, Ally Loo, who herself was a victim of sexual abuse as a child. When she was seven, she was given a stuffed animal by a worker at a local abuse agency, which provided her great comfort and security at the time. She started PATCH to provide the same love and kindness she received as a child and to stand up and be a voice for other victims. With the help of my peers at Dublin High School, I hope to continue my sister’s vision to support and comfort victims of abuse through PATCH. Even though it is rarely talked about, child abuse is still a huge problem in today’s society, even within our own community. There has been a national increase in abuse cases during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is more important than ever for us to bring awareness to this important issue. PATCH provides Dublin teens with awareness of the issues at hand and opportunities for them to serve our community through service projects to help victims of abuse. Since its establishment in 2016, PATCH has collected and donated over 2,000 stuffed animals to a local child abuse center, hosted Blanket and Scarf Making projects and three child abuse awareness campaigns (Wear Blue Thursday, Speak Up, and Take a Stand) and assembled care packages for victims of child abuse. With our YAC grant of $500 during the 2017-2018 66 school year, PATCH hosted a Child Abuse Awareness Campaign at DHS - “Take a Stand.” $250 was used to purchase stickers for a fundraiser, and the rest of the grant was used for printing awareness materials. The campaign was a huge success. All of our project objectives and goals were met - we were able to directly benefit Dublin teens by building awareness of child abuse and by giving them opportunities to help serve and give back to the community. We even had a few teens (and even a few adults) come forward and share with us that they had been abused and that they appreciated what we were doing because it gave them hope, strength, and comfort for the future. Our club has received lots of support from civic leaders, school faculty members, business owners, family, and friends. We are so thankful that the YAC grant enabled us to make such an impact and look forward to expanding that impact through our upcoming projects. In 2019, PATCH was again awarded with a generous YAC grant, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we were unfortunately unable to follow-through with our 2019 Blanket Making Project. Building on the successes of our past campaigns and various projects, which were made possible by YAC Mini Grants, PATCH is excited to initiate our fourth annual Child Abuse Awareness Campaign at Dublin High in April 2021 for National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Our plan is to distribute waterproof child abuse awareness stickers that can be used on water bottles or laptops and ask for a $1 donation for each sticker to generate funds for future projects. In addition, the grant will help us purchase fabric to make 40 fleece blankets for a local abuse shelter. Along with bringing comfort to abused children, the April campaign project will directly benefit Dublin teens by building their awareness of child abuse and by helping them develop compassion for others who are hurting. The pandemic has limited our face to face gatherings. 67 However, this project will provide teens with an opportunity to still work together to serve our community and make a positive impact in the lives of hurting children. For anyone who wants to volunteer and participate in this project, materials and supplies will be dropped off at each participating student’s home, along with a tutorial on how to assemble the fleece blankets. This will allow students to continue to participate in hands-on club activities while even at home. Finished blankets can be dropped off at a designated location or scheduled for a porch pick-up. Our club respectfully requests a $450 grant for our ​Child Abuse Awareness Campaign and Blanket Project in April 2021​. The funds will allow us to purchase the following items for our campaign and project: 1)100 stickers (printing = ​$50​) 2)40 yds of fleece for 40 blankets @ Joann Fabrics (approx $10/yd x 40 = ​$400​) Total: $50 + $400 = $450 PATCH will keep records of all expenditures. Pictures will be taken throughout the whole campaign to post on our social media sites to create more interest and participation among Dublin High School students. A full report of the project can be presented to the Youth Advisory Committee after the event. Thank you for your time and consideration of our request. I hope to hear from you soon. Sincerely, Caitlyn Loo PATCH President 68 11/17/2020 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/3865 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/3865 2/3 Name of Organization/Club:* Address1* City*State*Zip* Phone:* Primary Contact Person (Name & Title):* Phone:*Email:* Adult Sponsor (Name & Title):* Phone: *Email:* Amount Requesting:*Number of People in Organization:* Percent of Dublin Youth Participants:* The Economic and Financial Literacy Club Dublin CA 94568 Amita Grewal, Club President and Founder Sehr Sheikh, Club Mentor $1000 25 80% 69 11/17/2020 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/3865 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/3865 3/3 Yes No Did the Youth Organization/Club receive grant funding in the past?* If yes, please explain how the funding from the Youth Mini Grants was used; if the goals were met; and the impact on the program. I have reviewed the proposal, and to the best of my knowledge, the funds requested from the City of Dublin will be used to provide the services described in this Request for Proposal. I also attest that the above-named organization/club have not received a grant from the City of Dublin within the past year. Adult Sponsor's Acknowledgement *Date: * Sehr Sheikh 11/12/2020 70 Dear Youth Advisory Committee, The Economic and Financial Literacy Club (EFLC) of the Quarry Lane School is a community-based club that aims to provide students of all ages with opportunities to become literate in basic finance and economic concepts. Students often wish that they are taught necessary finance skills needed in adult life, but many are not given the option to do so in the classroom. Our organization was created with the purpose to close this gap. I.Our Project and Impact In the state of California, high school financial literacy instruction received an “F” grade by the Center for Financial Literacy at Champlain College in Vermont. When a basic financial literacy test was administered by the National Financial Educator’s Council (NFEC), only 61.46% of California students aged 15 to 18 years old passed, citing a strong need for the implementation of financial education into schools. While every school is not equally able to provide instruction in economic and financial literacy, our organization aims to deliver a grassroots method of education to Dublin students outside of the classroom. Our project begins by administering NFEC’s 30-question basic financial literacy test to interested Dublin Youth. This provides a metric for not only our organization, but the city of Dublin, to monitor and measure the effectiveness of our program in improving the quality of education for economic and financial literacy. By the end of the academic school year (June 2021), the students will be retested to assess their then-current financial literacy. Our program is entirely free to students and will include monthly workshops on financial literacy, live and recorded student-run finance lessons, and multi-medium activities. Topics of instruction focus on decision-making and goals, income and careers, savings, investing, retirement planning, and principles of money management. All instructional material is 71 developed upon state and non-profit organization curricula. While our program is designed specifically for high-school students, interested Dublin youth who are currently in middle-school are also welcome to participate. Additionally, we aim for the scores of the reassessment of the NFEC financial literacy test to meet and exceed the 2019 national average of 64.94% and/or increase by at least 10 points after the completion of our program. Our fundamental purpose is to foster financial literacy in Dublin youth in preparation for life after secondary education and beyond. II.Use of Funds The Economic and Financial Literacy Club of the Quarry Lane School requests $1,000 in funding from the Dublin Youth Advisory Committee to provide quality interactive education material pertaining to economic and financial literacy to Dublin students. 25% of these funds would be used in purchasing original educational material from suppliers, such as Teachers Pay Teachers. 50% of these funds would go towards presentation resources, such as a premium Zoom subscription for hosting meetings that includes additional online tools, and a PearDeck subscription, which is an online application that allows for presentations to be interactive in real-time between educators and students. The remaining 25% of the proposed budget would be used for classroom supplies and to distribute activities, such as worksheets, to students. This percentage of the funds would cover expenses for paper, financial literacy books, printing, as well as any mailing costs needed in order to deliver lessons to students. III.Proof of Correct Use of Funds To provide proof that all funds are used appropriately, a Google Drive folder will be shared with the Youth Advisory Committee. In this folder, a sheet will detail which items were purchased using the grant, how much of the funds were used on each particular item, the reason 72 for the purchase of this item, and receipts of purchase. As this folder will act as a living document, it will ensure that at any given moment, the committee will be able to see how funds are presently being used. The proposed funds will allow the Economic and Financial Literacy Club of QLS to grow from just a single school to a community-wide project across the City of Dublin, improving not only individual outreach, but financial literacy education which will support Dublin youth for years to come. Sincerely, Amita K. Grewal (Club Founder & President) 73 11/17/2020 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/3847 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/3847 2/3 Name of Organization/Club:* Address1* City*State*Zip* Phone:* Primary Contact Person (Name & Title):* Phone:*Email:* Adult Sponsor (Name & Title):* Phone: *Email:* Amount Requesting:*Number of People in Organization:* Percent of Dublin Youth Participants:* Dublin HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America - Future Health Professionals) Dublin CA 94568 Ryan Wong/Aanika Bedi (Co-presidents) Dr. Julianne Sundstrom (Chapter Advisor) $250 177 100% are youth in Dublin 74 11/17/2020 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/3847 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/3847 3/3 Yes No Did the Youth Organization/Club receive grant funding in the past?* If yes, please explain how the funding from the Youth Mini Grants was used; if the goals were met; and the impact on the program. I have reviewed the proposal, and to the best of my knowledge, the funds requested from the City of Dublin will be used to provide the services described in this Request for Proposal. I also attest that the above-named organization/club have not received a grant from the City of Dublin within the past year. Adult Sponsor's Acknowledgement *Date: * We were lucky enough to get a grant from YAC two years ago, involving transportation costs to a large state conference. The money was spent by making HOSA members pay less for transportation to and from the conference. With the funds given to us by YAC, we were able to make prices of the trip more affordable and several more members were able to come to the trip. This conference was beneficial and a positive impact to those members as it allowed them to network with HOSA members from all over the state and dove deep into different medicine and science topics. Julianne Sundstrom 11/12/2020 75 76 77 11/17/2020 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/3840 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/3840 2/3 Name of Organization/Club:* Address1* City*State*Zip* Phone:* Primary Contact Person (Name & Title):* Phone:*Email:* Adult Sponsor (Name & Title):* Phone: *Email:* Amount Requesting:*Number of People in Organization:* Percent of Dublin Youth Participants:* GARDENERS OF THE GALAXY Dublin CA 94568 Arjun Karur-Parekh Frank Castro, Child Nutrition DIrector, DUSD 1500 20-50(anticipated, modt likely 20 by next week) 100% 78 11/17/2020 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/3840 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/3840 3/3 Yes No Did the Youth Organization/Club receive grant funding in the past?* If yes, please explain how the funding from the Youth Mini Grants was used; if the goals were met; and the impact on the program. I have reviewed the proposal, and to the best of my knowledge, the funds requested from the City of Dublin will be used to provide the services described in this Request for Proposal. I also attest that the above-named organization/club have not received a grant from the City of Dublin within the past year. Adult Sponsor's Acknowledgement *Date: * Frank Castro 11/10/2020 79 Dear Ms.Bridget, Here is my proposal for the Dublin Youth Grant. My name is Arjun Karur-Parekh and I am a freshman at Dublin High school . I have been gardening since I was in 5th grade and I want to start a club called the “Gardeners of the Galaxy” . The intent is to introduce others to gardening, grow and donate food so we can all do our part in contributing to relief efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our club will be focusing on growing microgreens for the students at DUSD. It will consist of 20 to 50 students who will be growing and delivering them to the DUSD school kitchens. The addition of microgreens to the menu will enhance the nutritional value because the number of minerals and vitamins are more densely compacted in the baby greens than the full-grown ones. One tray of microgreens has about 4 servings. If 20 club members are growing 10 trays/week, we can grow 800 servings which will feed 160 80 students/day/school week! If we get 50 club members that number goes up to 2000 servings, or 400 students fed every school day! If we wish to sustain this project, funding is crucial and will be used to buy trays, soil, and seeds. The cost of growing 1 tray is about $8.50 with the materials we have identified on the open market. With further research, we hope to reduce the cost by a considerable amount and plan on reaching out to local businesses who can give us bulk pricing. For proving that the funds were used as proposed, pictures will be sent at certain milestones, ie. first zoom meeting, first growth, first delivery to school among others. Additionally, we will create a website to motivate more people to join us and to log our progress. The website will have information on our club, videos on how to grow and a materials list, along with other useful information. Lastly, we will keep receipts as proof of all purchases made and maintain all accounts. In order to ensure the safety of the food we are growing , I am currently communicating with the supervisor at the Alameda County Department of Environmental Health. She has been very encouraging and we are in the process of applying for necessary licenses to ensure food safety. 81 We hope to secure your support with this grant in order to help the hundreds of students affected by food insecurity and to do our part in helping to make the COVID-19 pandemic easier for those most in need. Sincerely, Arjun Karur-Parekh 82 83 11/17/2020 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/3832 https://dublin.ca.gov/Admin/FormCenter/Submissions/Print/3832 3/3 Yes No Did the Youth Organization/Club receive grant funding in the past?* If yes, please explain how the funding from the Youth Mini Grants was used; if the goals were met; and the impact on the program. I have reviewed the proposal, and to the best of my knowledge, the funds requested from the City of Dublin will be used to provide the services described in this Request for Proposal. I also attest that the above-named organization/club have not received a grant from the City of Dublin within the past year. Adult Sponsor's Acknowledgement *Date: * The Youth Mini Grant was awarded to the Quarry Lane Environmental Club in the past. A large portion of the money from previous years has been dedicated towards creating a Rain Garden on our school campus. The Rain Garden provides the Dublin community with countless benefits such as reducing pollution, replenishing groundwater, providing a habitat for native wildlife, and filtering surface water runoff. However, above all, it allowed the youth to come together in solidarity to be a part of the solution to climate change. Since the creation of the Rain Garden, the Quarry Lane Environmental Club has expanded it by adding solar-powered lights and extending the garden. It has also been used for organizing the large Earth Day celebrations, but since last year we could not hold the event in person, we used the funding to create a program for a virtual Earth Day celebration that still placed an emphasis upon educating the youth of Dublin on various environmental issues. The money was also used to organize park and creek cleanups in the Dublin area, which allowed the beautification of the city as well as provided the youth with an enriching activity where they received the opportunity to have a hands-on experience of taking steps towards preserving the planet. Lastly, the remaining money was dedicated towards holding workshops for elementary schoolers in the city of Dublin. With the funding from the YAC Mini Grant, the Quarry Lane Environmental Club was able to meet most of our goals and accomplish all of our projects. The projects and events that we completed/organized would not have been possible without the funding from the Youth Mini Grant, so the program was very beneficial in bringing our ideas about environmentalism to fruition. Mr. Art Squillante 11/7/2020 84 Youth Mini Grant Proposal The Quarry Lane Environmental Club is a student-driven club that is focused on creating an increased awareness of environmental issues with an emphasis on educating and empowering students to be more involved in maintaining the well-being of our environment. The Environmental Club is one of the most popular clubs on the Quarry Lane School campus and has an instrumental role in coordinating events and seminars throughout the school year to ensure a greener future. Identifying environmental illiteracy as a key issue in our community, the Quarry Lane Environmental Club is launching the first environmental educational magazine at our school. Through this effort, we strive to educate the youth of Dublin on the pressing environmental issues and highlight why combating these should be our top priority. We have already published two editions of our environmental magazine called “Wild & Wondrous” that is available to everyone (not just our school community) for free. Each magazine edition is focused on a different topic so that students gain a comprehensive understanding of the importance of action. Given our current circumstances, it has become difficult to organize in-person events during the school year that can encourage students to take steps towards preserving our planet, so we believe that creating this magazine is a unique outlet to inspire the youth of Dublin and instill in their minds the necessity of environmentalism. In addition, the Quarry Lane Environmental Club will continue to organize and hold environmental seminars/workshops (virtually for now) that will help enrich the Dublin youth by fostering a love for community service and leadership in students and empowering individuals to lead their own initiatives. 85 The Quarry Lane Environmental Club is also creating a podcast to supplement our magazine efforts that will be publicly available for free. We are inviting renowned environmental changemakers onto the podcast so that they can speak about their actions and how they witness first-hand the drastic consequences of various environmental issues. This podcast will allow the youth of Dublin to listen to the advice of environmental trailblazers and will equip them with a new lens to view the world around them, ultimately ridding the youth cohort of ignorance and inspiring them to take steps towards creating a healthier environment. Lastly, the Quarry Lane Environmental Club organizes an annual Earth Day celebration that is open to all Dublin residents. The Earth Day celebration is a fun-filled event that features live entertainment, informative speakers, local sustainable vendors, as well as various student- driven efforts and talents on/off campus. The primary goal of this event is to promote local solidarity and increase environmental awareness, while showing the students how even small changes in our everyday lives can help make a difference. The funds from the Youth Mini Grant will be used to help further our goals to educate the youth in Dublin by dedicating more resources towards our recent projects. In particular, the grant money will be used to invite prestigious speakers onto our podcast so that the youth can connect to the movement of environmentalism on a more personal level and hear the nuanced perspectives that these environmental leaders have to offer. In addition, the grants will be extremely useful for allowing our magazine to reach a wider audience, for conducting environmental workshops and seminars in the city, and for putting together the grand Earth Day celebration that our club hosts annually. In order to provide proof of how the funds were used, the Quarry Lane Environmental Club will send all episodes of our podcast as well as all of our environmental magazine editions to the city. In addition, for the other educational seminars that 86 we put on (virtually or in-person) and the Earth Day celebration, we will send numerous pictures to show the scale of the event as well as invoices from vendors. The Youth Mini Grant was awarded to the Quarry Lane Environmental Club in the past. A large portion of the money from previous years has been dedicated towards creating a Rain Garden. The Rain Garden provides the Dublin community with countless benefits such as reducing pollution, replenishing groundwater, providing a habitat for native wildlife, and filtering surface water runoff. However, above all, it allowed the youth to come together in solidarity to be a part of the solution to climate change. Since the creation of the Rain Garden, the Quarry Lane Environmental Club has expanded it by adding solar-powered lights and extending the garden. The funds have also been used for organizing the large Earth Day celebrations and conducting park and creek cleanups in the Dublin area, which allowed the beautification of the city as well as provided the youth with an enriching activity where they received the opportunity to have a hands-on experience of taking steps towards preserving the planet. 87