Harris County and the Center for Afterschool, Summer and Enrichment (CASE) for Kids recently announced the County Connections Youth Summer Initiative 2024 grant award recipients.

Funded directly by Harris County and administered to vetted programs by CASE for Kids, the initiative supports nonprofit organizations that address the need for youth summer services. Partners have shared that funding has enabled them to create or expand programming designed for neighbor hubs such as apartment complexes, libraries and community centers. This makes it easier for families to access a wide range of free or affordable programming in a safe location close to their homes.

Among the initiatives funded are comprehensive summer programs, camps hosted both in-person and virtually, and short-term projects.

View the complete list of County Connections Youth Summer Initiative 2024 Grant Award recipients.

This year, more than $1.3 million in funding was awarded to over 50 organizations to provide summer activities across the county. Activities include fine arts, academic enrichment, college readiness and youth mentoring. A total of 87 applications were received across all four Commissioner Precincts.

The four-year interlocal agreement between the Harris County commissioners and HCDE is the first multi-year funding commitment for the program since its inception in 2021 and totals $7.1 million to support County Connections. The partnership demonstrates the commissioners’ commitment and confidence in CASE for Kids and local out-of-school-time organizations and providers.

“Summer is a critical time for investments in youth,” said Dr. Lisa Caruthers, CASE for Kids senior director. “Summer learning loss for low-income students, known as the ‘Summer Slide,’ compounds year after year for youth not actively involved in summer programming. The power of County Connections is that it brings together community partners to share activities and opportunities with youth to spark their interest while keeping them safe in a summer program.”

To learn more about County Connections, visit www.hcde-texas.org/county-connections.