Island Health and the Pacific Public Health Foundation (PPHF) are excited to welcome grant applications from organizations interested in building youth mental well-being and resilience. For the first time, Island Health and PPHF are partnering to allocate up to $450,000 for the Youth Resilience Grants program (previously known as Resilience and Safety Grants). These grants, now in their third year, aim to help improve mental well-being and build youth resilience to challenging life events.
PPHF, which supports programs and projects that address public health priorities for B.C., is contributing funding for the Youth Resilience Grants. Not-for-profit organizations, schools and Indigenous-led organizations are invited to submit applications for initiatives that support youth health and wellness.
“These grants are filling a real gap in our system,” says Dr. Réka Gustafson, vice president, Population Health and chief medical health officer at Island Health. “These kinds of programs are essential for the resilience and well-being of young people. Youth often tell us that what got them through challenging times was connection, that one mentor who made them feel seen or that one program that engaged them when they needed it the most.”
Resilience grants of up to $50,000 are available to launch new and innovative projects/programs in communities across the Island Health region that aim to improve youth resiliency. The youth resilience grants are not intended to fund ongoing or existing programs.
“Finding ways to improve youth mental health is an important public health priority, and we’re actively working with public health leaders to support innovative projects like the Youth Resilience Grant program,” according to Pacific Public Health Foundation. “We look forward to collaborating with Island Health as we work toward our aims of emphasizing positive health promotion and proactively strengthening well-being.”
Disconnection and isolation from community and culture, impacts of climate change and the unregulated drug poisoning emergency have all contributed to increasing rates of poor mental health among youth. Many would benefit from supports to develop resilience in a changing world.
Applications should focus on:
- Connections to one or more stable and supportive adults
- Belonging to a broadly defined family, community or school
- Connection to culture
- Sense of autonomy, competence, purpose
- Social and emotional learning and skills
Youth Resilience Grants provide the opportunity for schools, school districts, Parent Advisory Councils, youth-led groups, not-for-profit organizations, local government organizations, Indigenous-led organizations and communities to apply for one-time funding to improve resilience among youth up to age 19.
For more detailed information and to submit an application, please visit Youth Resilience Grants. The deadline to submit a grant application is Friday, December 20.