Funded YAR Projects

Project Title: “Story Book Friends”
Youth Group: PAC House
Grant Amount: $652.04

Nine youth with special needs from Burlington’s PAC (Project Active Citizen) House used a YAR grant to purchase books, stuffed animals, and snacks. The students visited 27 early childhood and kindergarten classes in the Burlington and Waterford areas. In each class, PAC House students read a story to the children and shared a snack. The project allowed the youth to share their love of reading with younger students and show them that people with special needs have a lot to offer. “Story Book Friends” was the recipient of the 2010-11 Youth As Resources Great Grant Award for successfully addressing a community need in a unique and creative way.

“I learned a lot while reading to kids. I learned that lots of kids like different stories. I also learned how to interact with children and to get them to enjoy the story…This was a project I really enjoyed doing and I hope it will help me learn how to reach my goal to become a daycare teacher in the future.” –Samantha, PAC House student and “Story Book Friends” project participant

Project Title: “Karcher Community Clean-up”
Youth Group: Karcher Middle School
Grant Amount: $1302.89

Over 500 students from Karcher Middle School visited 38 public areas in Burlington, including parks, playgrounds, bike trails, and more, to clean up trash and debris, spread clean mulch and clean playground equipment. All of the work was completed in one day and readied the outdoor areas for public enjoyment.

“This project was a huge learning experience for me. It helped me to take charge and be a leader. I realized that with a little push, kids can make a huge difference. I am so thankful for Youth As Resources for believing in us and helping to make our project a complete success!” –Sammi Robers, Karcher Middle School student and “Karcher Community Clean-up” project leader

Project Title: “Dogs and Cats Galore”
Youth Group: Girl Scout Troop 5754
Grant Amount: $733.90

Girl Scouts from Troop 5754 learned about animal care, spaying/neutering, and animal abuse in order to help the animals and adopting families at Countryside Humane Society. They used what they learned to create information boards that were displayed during kennel hours to educate visitors about responsible pet ownership. The girls spent time reading books to the dogs in the kennels to help calm the animals and give them individual attention. The girls made blankets for the dogs and cats to provide comfort as they awaited adoption. They also created adoption kits that included collars, food and water dishes, toys, treats, and information about pet care. The adoption kits were given to people as they adopted a cat or dog from the Humane Society.