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Media Release

June 10 , 2008

Community Foundation of Ottawa youth grants fund innovative summer projects

(Ottawa) – Four unique programs for Ottawa youth will commence this summer as a result of the Community Foundation of Ottawa’s Youth Empowerment Grants program. Proposed, selected and implemented by youth, these projects include a summer camp for at-risk youth organized by Carleton University’s Black Affinity student group; a healthy lifestyle program for children in the Banff community; the “Dream Catchers” mentoring program for Aboriginal youth; and “YouthFax,” an educational campaign to raise awareness of mental health issues amongst youth. Each project was recommended for funding by the Community Foundation’s Youth Advisory Committee (YAC), and will receive grants of up to $2500 each.

“Youth projects provide a valuable perspective when it comes to solving youth issues,” says David Makolm Reid, a 17-year-old YAC member. “It’s essential that we encourage youth to get involved in trying to improve the lives of others. We believe that these four projects can and will make a positive difference for youth in the Ottawa community.” Launched in 2005, the Ottawa Youth in Philanthropy (OYIP) program is a local initiative that engages young people in the world of community philanthropy. With the support of an adult advisor, the YAC works to raise money, build endowment funds and make grants to youth projects in the local community. The current YAC consists of 20 young people from all across the city of Ottawa.

Since its inception, the Community Foundation’s OYIP program has provided over $30,000 in funding to youth-led projects in Ottawa, including a multicultural festival in the Caldwell community; a youth conference addressing sexual awareness and promoting harm reduction among youth; a leadership camp for Somali-Canadian youth in Ottawa’s west end; and the Global Citizenship Conference that engaged young people in local and global issues. For a complete list of youth projects funded by the Community Foundation of Ottawa, visit www.cfo-fco.ca/site/site_en/programs/youth.htm.

Created by and for the people of Ottawa, the Community Foundation of Ottawa is a public, non-profit organization that has been serving the community since 1987. As an independent centre for community philanthropy, it connects donors who care with causes that matter and serves as a trusted resource for addressing issues and leveraging opportunities in the community. It attracts and manages a growing endowment, the invested earnings of which provide grants to charitable organizations.