STATE minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information Floyd Green is inviting submissions for its ‘Charge Up’ grants, aimed at supporting the work of youth-based organisations in the country.

The grants are being provided under the Ministry’s ‘Charge Up Project’, which seeks to revitalise Jamaica’s youth club movement.

“We have the ‘Charge Up’ project where we are giving youth clubs grants so that they can undertake projects because we really recognise that our young people need productive associations, so we want to get our youth club movement back up and running,” Green said.

He was speaking to JIS News after delivering a speech to students at Ardenne High School in St Andrew on Wednesday.

Clubs will be able to apply for grants for youth and community development projects. The grant application period is November 1-30, which is being observed as Youth Month.

Green said that youth club (charge up) rallies will be held during the month, “which are to really try and rejuvenate and re-energise our youth club movement. So we are going right across Jamaica to get our movement up and running.”

The community rallies are high-energy activities that will address issues resulting in club inactivity, while also allowing youth to gain access to a number of social services for their empowerment.

These rallies are designed to heighten community interest in youth clubs and will contribute to reactivating inactive or dormant groups, communicate information on how the community benefits from an active youth club, and the personal benefits that can be derived from joining a club.

Youth Month 2017 is being observed under the theme ‘Substance Ova Hype’, with numerous activities that are geared towards promoting a deeper understanding of self among youth and an appreciation for long-term wins.

In addition to initiatives geared towards rejuvenating clubs, Green said youth groups can benefit from funding under a volunteer competition project to assist early childhood institutions. The winning projects will be showcased on National Day of Service on November 30.

“It’s the first year we’re going to have a national year of service because we are saying to young people, if you are ‘Substance Ova Hype’, then that means you’re giving back to your community, you’re giving back to your country. Young people all over Jamaica are asked to look across their community, adopt a basic school that is over 50 per cent in relation to Early Childhood Commission certification requirements, put together a short video, send it in to us and they can win up $200,000,” Green said.

Groups will be required to complete an application form as well as submit a two-minute video.

The video should include the reasons for choosing the particular institution/project, why the project is important to the group, how it will benefit the school and surrounding community, and a plan for continued support of the institution.

— JIS