(FLINT, Mich., Jan. 15, 2016) – The Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce today announced the receipt of $21,600 from several organizations and businesses in support of advancing the success and well-being of local youth and teens.
The funding will benefit three programs administered by the Genesee Area Focus Fund, a supporting organization of the Flint & Genesee Chamber:
- YouthQuest, a comprehensive, afterschool program that serves more than 2,000 K-12 students in 13 area schools
- TeenQuest, an afterschool pre-employment and leadership training program for high school students, ages 14-19, in Genesee County
- Summer Youth Initiative (SYI), a program that places TeenQuest graduates in jobs with local businesses and organizations
“We are very grateful for our generous funders,” said Rhetta Hunyady, Vice President of Education & Training at the Flint & Genesee Chamber. “It’s only with their support that we’re able to provide such high-quality programming at no cost to the students.”
Recent grantors include:
- Alden and Vada Dow Family Foundations, $10,000 (YouthQuest)
- Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the Greater Flint Arts Council, $3,600 (YouthQuest)
- Jennings Memorial Foundation, $2,500 (YouthQuest)
- Dollar General Literacy Foundation, $2,000 (YouthQuest)
- Target Corp. (Target Community Literacy Grant), $1,500 (YouthQuest)
- Ann Arbor AWESOME Foundation, $1,000 (TeenQuest/SYI, YouthQuest)
- Burroughs Memorial Trust, $1,000 (TeenQuest/SYI)
In other SYI news, the Chamber has released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for employers interested in hiring TeenQuest alumni this summer. As part of SYI, participating employers are eligible to receive wage subsidy funding – up to 100 percent for nonprofit organizations and 50 percent for for-profit – for the first 90 days of employment.
There will be an informational meeting about the program and employer application process from 9-10:30 a.m. Jan. 28 at the Chamber office, at 519 S. Saginaw St, Flint.
Those unable to attend the upcoming session can request a private meeting and review of their draft proposal by contacting Paula Stainbrook at 810-600-1413 or . The RFP deadline is March 28. For more information, or to download the RFP application, click here.
To learn more about the Chamber’s youth and teen programming, visit www.flintandgenesee.org/learn.
Media contacts:
Elaine Redd or Izzi Joseph
Flint & Genesee Chamber Flint & Genesee Chamber
(810) 600-1418 (810) 600-4071
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About YouthQuest
YouthQuest is a high-quality, research-based afterschool program offering educational and enrichment activities that engage young minds. Available at 17 sites in the city of Flint and Genesee County, YouthQuest serves nearly 2,000 students in grades K-12. The program is administered by the Genesee Area Focus Fund, a supporting organization of the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce, with support from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. For more information, visit www.yquest.org.
About the Summer Youth Initiative and TeenQuest
The Summer Youth Initiative is a program that helps Flint-area teens find paid summer jobs. It’s open to students who’ve completed the TeenQuest afterschool program, which provides pre-employment and leadership training to students ages 14 to 19 to help them succeed in college and the 21st century workplace. In 2014, 630 teens gained experience and a paycheck working for 21 local businesses and agencies. Both programs are administered by the Genesee Area Focus Fund, a supporting organization of the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce, with support from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. To apply or learn more, visit www.flintandgenesee.org/learn/syi/.
About the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce
Serving the community for over 100 years, the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce is a premier business membership organization unlike most chambers of commerce. In addition to traditional member services, our responsibility includes serving as the lead economic development agency for Flint & Genesee, marketing tourism, youth and business training, and a Shared Services Center.