Michigan: Retention and Engagement Youth Grant Program

The Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA), through its New Leaders Arts Council of Michigan (NLACM) advisory group, recently offered the Retention and Engagement Youth Grant Program to Michigan nonprofit organizations. The program, designed to provide opportunities for young people to engage each other and their communities, supports youth-based projects within organizations as a part of a community engagement and retention strategy. The purpose of NLACM, a subcommittee of MCACA, is to engage young people in the arts and culture of Michigan. The goals of NLACM are to increase young people’s access to arts and culture programs within Michigan; advise MCACA on issues relating to young people’s participation in, access to and development through arts and culture in Michigan; support programs, projects and initiatives of MCACA; and promote the value of arts and culture to a community. The development of the Retention and Engagement Youth Grant Program was the next step in the professional development process for NLACM. NLACM set the priorities for the Retention and Engagement Program, helped design the guidelines and review criteria, served as the review panel and made their funding recommendations to the Council. The New Leaders recommended 10 applications for fiscal year 2010 funding and MCACA recently took action on those grant requests, which totaled $22,100. For additional information, contact MCACA Executive Director John Bracey.