Jenny Johnson tells you what’s going on in Boston this weekend
NBC10 Boston, NECN, Telemundo Boston and the NBCUniversal Foundation announced Thursday that four local nonprofit organizations will receive a total of $225,000 in Project Innovation grants.
The winning organizations — Sociedad Latina, Inc., Peace First, Inc., Partners for Youth With Disabilities and Health Resources in Action, Inc. — were selected by the stations to help boost innovative programs that address local community issues through innovative solutions in the areas of storytelling, culture of inclusion, youth education and community engagement.
This is the second year in a row that NBC10 Boston, NECN and Telemundo Boston are recognizing area nonprofit organizations with Project Innovation grants.
"This year’s recipients exemplify community," said Mike St. Peter, president and general manager of NBC10 Boston, NECN and Telemundo Boston. "Each of the four nonprofits selected are building the foundation for useful programs through inclusion, engagement and youth education. By helping their projects launch, we secure a better future for us all."
Sociedad Latina, Inc. was awarded $75,000 to install a year-round hydroponics garden. The garden will be led by youths and supported by community members. The organization aims to help Latino youth "see themselves as change-makers."
Peace First, Inc., a nonprofit whose mission is to teach young people to "become powerful peacemakers," received $65,000. The grant will help the organization to design and lead projects that address community issues, including social justice. The program will leverage events, mentorship, social and financial capital to educate children, resulting in a new and inspired generation.
The third organization to receive a Project Innovation grant is Partners for Youth With Disabilities. Their mission is to empower those who have a disability. The $45,000 grant will help them expand a disability inclusion training program to 25 Boston-area organizations via a new online learning platform so they can better engage and serve individuals with disabilities.
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The final organization receiving a grant is Health Resources in Action, Inc., which received $40,000 to support The Leah Project. The funds will be used to support the technology track of STEM education and college readiness for low-income communities of color, including a peer curriculum in electricity, circuits and technology exploration.
Project Innovation is presented by the NBCUniversal Foundation and NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, a division of NBCUniversal. NBC and Telemundo owned stations located in 11 markets, including Boston, kicked off the challenge earlier this year to identify local organizations that are using innovation to develop real-life solutions for their communities. The stations created and convened community panels to review the grant applications and select final grant recipients. This year, nearly $2.5 million in Project Innovation grants have been awarded to nonprofit organizations in participating markets.
