Mayor Menino Announces Nearly $350,000 in Grants for Summer Youth Programming

Boston R.O.C.K.S.!!!

Mayor Menino Announces Nearly $350,000 in Grants for Summer Youth Programming

More than 86 Groups Receive “Recreational Opportunities for City Kids” Grants

          Mayor Thomas M. Menino today announced that over 86 recipients will receive Boston’s Recreational Opportunities for City Kids (R.O.C.K.S!!!) Community Grants this summer.

This grant program will increase both the number and variety of programs serving youth, and ensure that youth have access to a plethora of activities and opportunities this summer.

          “We are very pleased to once again award Boston R.O.C.K.S!!! Community Grants this summer,” Mayor Menino said. “These grants ensure that organizations have the funds they need to provide a variety of great programs and opportunities for our youth.”

          Grants range from $2,000 to $5,000 and support summer programs and opportunities for Boston’s children and youth. Programs supported through this grant operate in neighborhoods throughout the City and primarily occur in a City of Boston Park, or a Boston Centers for Youth & Families Community Center.

          Summer programs funded through these grants include various recreational sports leagues, academic enrichment programs, dance and theater programs, cooking programs, and so many more programs designed to support healthy youth development and engagement during the summer months.

          Since 2007, the Mayor’s Office has been providing the Boston R.O.C.K.S!!! Community Grants in conjunction with Boston Centers for Youth & Families, the City’s largest human services agency. The Boston R.O.C.K.S!!! Community Grant program serves to complement the hundreds of summer programming options Boston youth already have access to through the City of Boston’s summer initiatives. The Boston R.O.C.K.S!!! Community Grant program further increases the number and variety of programs that serve youth. The objective of the grants is to ensure all youth have a safe place to learn and grow during the summer months. 

          These grants will make possible programs that focus on Boston Centers for Youth & Families’ ACES programming framework:  arts, education, sports, and skill and leadership development.

          To learn more about the hundreds of summer programs and activities available to Boston’s young people, go to www.cityofboston.gov/bcyf or www.bostonyouthzone.com, or call the Boston Youth Zone line at 617-635-KIDS.