This week, Harris County and the Center for Afterschool, Summer, and Enrichment for Kids (CASE for Kids) announced the 2023 County Connections Youth Summer Initiative grant awardees for nonprofits that offer youth summer enrichment programs and camps across the county.
View the complete list of awardees here.
This year, more than $1.3 million were awarded to more than 40 organizations that provide programming such as fine arts, robotics, sports, hobby exploration, and college readiness initiatives. For programming from June 6 to August 18, 2023, the initiative disbursed grants ranging from $500 to $20,000. A total of 95 applications were received.
Nonprofits from all four county precincts receive grants, and services are tailored to meet the needs of the community. Funds are used to purchase materials and supplies for activities, add programming opportunities, reduce fees, or offer scholarships to families.
Funding for the enrichment curriculum is provided by Harris County and administered to vetted programs by CASE for Kids. In April, Harris County commissioners and Harris County Department of Education approved a four-year interlocal agreement totaling $7.1 to support County Connections, the first multi-year funding commitment for the program since its inception in 2021.
Harris County commissioners’ multi-year investment in the County Connections demonstrates their confidence in the initiative, CASE for Kids, and approved local out-of-school-time providers.
“For the first time, we can use this funding to plan ahead for our summer enrichment programs,” said CASE for Kids Senior Director Lisa Caruthers, Ph.D. “County Connections is a wonderful opportunity for our students, and we are excited to increase CASE for Kids’ impact because our students need this support.”
To learn more about County Connections, visit hcde-texas.org/county-connections.