News

Foundation Awards New Grants to Engage Disconnected Youth

November 14, 2016

The Paso del Norte Health Foundation recently awarded eight grants totaling more than $900,000 under the Healthy Relationship Priority Area – IGNITE Initiative. The goal of the IGNITE initiative is to improve a range of health outcomes by engaging disconnected youth in the region in high quality programs during out of school hours. The Foundation refers to “disconnected youth” as people between the ages of 7-18 who are not involved in out of school activities or participating in the labor market.

Funded organizations are:

Boy Scouts of America Yucca Council - $160,616.50
Unidos Prosperamos
To recruit 100 new, disconnected boys to become part of the Boy Scouts of America program and develop a sustainability model for the Unidos Prosperamos program.

Centro de Asesoria y Promocion Juvenil, A.C. (CASA) - $120,505.00
Espacios de Participación y Desarrollo Juvenil
To implement of out of school workshops in five community centers and recruit and retain 900 disconnected youth ages 11-18 years old in Ciudad Juárez, MX. as well as develop a sustainability model for their youth program.

Creative Kids, Inc. - $284,681.10
Project ABLE (Art Brokers Learning Experiences)
To offer Project ABLE, an arts-based after school and summer program, to disconnected youth in Fabens, TX as well as develop and pilot test a training tool kit as a sustainability model for the program.

Girl Scouts of the Desert Southwest- Southern New Mexico & West Texas, Inc. - $17,303.00
Ignite Program Sustainability
To develop a sustainability model for the Troop Pathway program in southern New Mexico.

Organización Popular Independiente, A.C. - $119,845.00
Cultura y deporte: Jóvenes en Acción
To provide after school and summer programming to 350 youth in Ciudad Juárez, MX through music, art, dance, and sports activities, as well as develop a sustainability model for their youth program.

Patronato del Museo del Niño de Ciudad Juarez, A.C. - $24,970.34
Rodis Jr. Convirtiendo a jóvenes desvinculados en guías del museo To recruit and train 120 disconnected youth from Ciudad Juárez, MX to serve as museum guides at La Rodadora, the only interactive museum in Ciudad Juárez and the largest museum in the state of Chihuahua and El Paso, TX. They will also work towards the development of a sustainability model for the Rodis Jr. program.

The FEMAP Foundation - $113,303.00
FEMAP en Conexion, Desarrollando las Capacidades
To continue to implement an out of school program for 300 disconnected children and youth in Ciudad Juárez, MX and develop a sustainability plan for their youth program.

The Regents of New Mexico State University - $74,385.00
Evaluation of the Paso Del Norte Health Foundation’s Ignite Initiative
To monitor the prevalence of disconnected and connected youth in the Paso del Norte region, provide technical assistance to the Foundation and partner organizations, and evaluate the quality of program sites.

For more information on these grants, contact Bianca Aguilar, Program Associate at 915-218-2623 or baguilar@pdnhf.org.