Carmel Green Teen grant applications due Feb. 29

The deadline to apply for a grant for Carmel Green Teen is Feb. 29. The application can be downloaded online  here and submitted as a Word or PDF attachment to admin@CarmelGreenTeen.org.

According to its homepage, Carmel Green Teen Micro-Grant Program is a youth-led program dedicated to make the environment a greener place through the help of self-driven community projects. Its mission statement: “making Carmel greener, one youth project at a time.”

Sponsored by a partnership with the City of Carmel, the program bestows students a grant up to $1,000 for the purpose of funding environmental projects. According to Lauren Gibson, Carmel Green Teen youth coordinator and junior, anyone under the age of 18 and with a group of three or more people is welcome to apply for a grant for a local project that takes place in the Carmel/Clay area. A nonprofit organization must also be able to sponsor the proposed project to ensure the correct handling of funds as well as youth safety.

“(The grants) are used to help fund the projects…that would reduce pollution, conserve resources and/or save energy,” Gibson said. “It’s a really great way to get involved and make an impact on the community, especially environmentally.”

Grants will be reviewed on March 11 from 2 to 4 p.m. and awarded at the City of Carmel Gazebo on March 21 from 4 to 6 p.m.

The program, which began two years ago, is its now own entity. According to Gibson, it was originally started by a school club, Carmel Area Roots & Shoots, and diverged to a humanitarian environmental program after applying for a $10,000 grant. Gibson said the program continues throughout the year with monthly meetings determined from members’ schedules.

“We would really like to see it expand to new cities. We’re currently working on packaging the program and seeing if we could spread it into new communities, because it has such positive impact on ours,” Gibson said.

For more information, contact http://info@carmelgreenteen.org.