Youth Development Grant Program

The Youth Development Grant Program aims to empower California public libraries to enhance summer meal initiatives by providing teens with valuable leadership and workforce readiness skills. Libraries can apply for funding to support scholarships, food handling certifications, training materials, and workshops that foster essential skills. This initiative not only feeds children but also cultivates future community leaders, making it a vital resource for youth development in the state.

Library summer meal programs can be an opportunity to provide teens with leadership development and workforce readiness skills as they assist with the work involved with providing meals at the library or taking pop-up library programming to community meal sites.
Libraries that will incorporate Youth Development programs into their summer meal programs can apply for Lunch at the Library Core Program Funds. Funds can be used for:
Youth scholarships for teens assisting with summer meal programFood handling courses/certificates for teens
Programming supplies
Trainings and/or training materials to help teens develop workforce readiness skills, team building, and leadership skills, program facilitation skills, social and emotional skills
Resume writing workshops to help teens highlight the skills they acquire over the summer
Staffing costs to support youth development programs
Any other reasonable idea that supports youth development programs

Eligibility

Funds and support are available for all California public libraries that help to provide summer meals for children and youthInterns: The use of grant money to fund interns during a grant program is allowable provided that the interns are only being paid for time spent directly on project-related activities and the payment method is not a stipend. Payment using grant funds made to interns as wages, salaries and payment for work under contract is allowable.Scholarships: Grant funds can be used to fund scholarships for those participating in educational and workforce development activities as part of the grant program and in alignment with the primary purpose of the grant.

Ineligibility

Unallowable costs include but are not limited to (please ask if you have questions):Food and refreshmentsPerformers for entertainmentFundraising activities, including grant writingCash reserves and endowment holdings; purchase of land, buildings or major constructionNon-educational social activities such as receptions, parties, galasGifts/prizes/incentives; cash prizes, or gift certificates with monetary valueContributions and donations to other entitiesExpenses incurred before the start of the grant period or after the ending date of the grant period without extension request and approvalLobbying activities that are intended to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of government officialsBackfill and salaries or benefits for individuals not directly contributing to the grant-funded project are not allowable as direct costs