Summer Youth Experience

The Rotary Summer Youth Experience supports summer programs that work with at-risk youth between the ages of 5 and 17 in Lancaster County.

The Rotary-United Way Summer Youth Experience Grant is a partnership with the United Way of Lancaster that provides support for nonprofits that offer summer learning opportunities for youth ages 5-17 in our community.

Since 2006, this grant has allowed nonprofits to offer quality educational programs that focus on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) as well as social-emotional development. 2024 awards totaled $60,000.

Program Requirements

Potential applicants must have programs that encourage youth to:

  • Improve academic skills
  • Build confidence and self-esteem
  • Develop awareness of civic responsibility
  • Develop physical skills

To be eligible for consideration, applicants must:

  • be a 501 (c)(3) organization
  • demonstrate the value of the program to the community and incorporate summer learning and skill development to address academic and career needs and aspirations
  • target population of at-risk, school-aged youth, ages 5-17
  • be in Lancaster County and/or serve Lancaster County residents
  • provide opportunities for youth to learn leadership, social and academic skills
  • operate in the summer months (June through August)
  • collaborate with other organizations
  • provide clear objectives with measurable outcomes

At the conclusion of the program, each funded program is required to complete an outcome report demonstrating that the youth participants learned life skills and enhanced their ability to interact with the community, helping to foster more positive and successful futures for today’s youth living in Lancaster city and surrounding areas.

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