2016 Cape Youth Force Grantees

The 2016 Cape Youth Force Committee was composed of students at Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School who are interested in making the community a better place by supporting projects that positively affect youth on Cape Cod.

The Cape Youth Force Committee sought proposals from schools, after-school programs, and organizations or groups that work with teenagers on Cape Cod, with a preference for projects and programs in the mid-Cape area. Priorities for 2016 included:

• Projects and programs that provide equal access to participate in sports/after-school programs/clubs/activities for teens, including cost of fees, equipment, transportation
• Attractions for teens, particularly over the winter or “off-season” months
• Projects and programs that support veterans and military families
• Projects and programs that protect the environment and our beaches

The 2016 Cape Youth Force grantees are:

RFK Children’s Action Corps – Cape Cod Adolescent Treatment Center was awarded $600 to take youth in the program on a four-day camping trip. The treatment center is a short-term (45 days) assessment/stabilization program in South Yarmouth that provides services that include crisis intervention; individual/family therapy and respite to youth ages 12-17 from the Cape and Islands. Youth in the program have experienced personal, family, and/or community challenges. This is often the first camping experience for these youth, providing experiential learning, team building, and personal growth opportunities. Many do not have regular access to programs for teens or the financial wherewithal to participate in fee-based activities. This four-day camping trip affords them the opportunity for increased self-esteem, improved interpersonal relations, and practicing productive rather than destructive responses to life’s challenges. It also allows them to be kids and have some fun.

Provincetown Jazz Festival received $400 to put on a ‘Jazz in the Schools’ concert in the D-Y district. Jazz in the Schools consists of a 50 minute presentation of jazz presented by professional jazz musicians on Cape Cod. This may be the first time a student will hear live jazz and this includes all styles of jazz including: Ragtime to Traditional, Big Band Swing, Bop, The Great American Song Book, Cool Jazz, Latin Jazz, and Fusion to Smooth Jazz.

Cape Youth Force is a program of The Cape Cod Foundation and Barnstable County UMass Extension/4H. This program was originally started with funding from Massachusetts Environmental Trust, and now is funded by local contributions and the Community Fund for Young People & the Fund for Youth Activities, both funds of The Cape Cod Foundation.