MICRO-GRANTS TO HELP YOUTH
SERVE THEIR COMMUNITY
As proud recipients of a grant from The Allstate Foundation, the Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program will support youth committed to making sport and play more accessible in their community. Inspired by our School Sports Equity Toolkit, Service Learning through Sports is a one-year program that provides micro-grants and mentorship programming to select U.S. high school students who lead, or aim to lead, a project or initiative addressing an issue of sports access.
2024 GRANT RECIPIENTS
PROGRAM INFORMATION
Service Learning for a better future
For school-age youth, service learning begins with organized acts of service for real-world challenges. The more that act of service can meet a recognized need and improve systems or lives at scale, the better. Leaders are born from such work.
IMPROVING ACCESS TO SPORTS ACROSS COMMUNITIES
Through Project Play, the signature initiative of the its Sports & Society Program, the Aspen Institute learned that the supply of sport opportunities is not meeting student demand for them. As illustrated in our School Sports Equity Toolkit, motivated high school students like Noor Abukaram, Ashley Badis, Matt Diaz and Rishan Patel have shown that young people can take it upon themselves to create new sport opportunities for their communities. Their stories make clear that not only do youth want sport, but the act of improving access for others can produce meaningful service learning.
a program FOR youth WHO LEAD THE WAY FOR SPORT EQUITY
Service Learning through Sports is a one-year program that will identify and support a small number of U.S. high school students who lead, or aim to lead, a project or initiative that addresses an issue of sport access in their community. Recipients will receive a micro-grant and mentorship programing to support their project, further their understanding of the school sports equity toolkit, and develop them as future service leaders. The program includes:
$2,000 micro-grant
Through an affiliated non-profit host organization, students will receive a $2,000 grant for a sports-focused project or initiative that they actively lead.Two-day learning retreat in Washington D.C. on March 3-4, 2024
Students will travel to Washington D.C. for discussion and brainstorming with the full cohort, a set of peer mentors and Aspen staff. Costs for travel and hotel will be included.Ongoing peer mentorship and guidance
Over a one year period, students will receive periodic feedback and guidance from peer mentors and program staff through virtual meetings for themselves and the full cohort.
program details
Deadline to apply: Applications now closed
Current U.S. high school students can apply, including those in U.S. territories.
Parent/guardian consent is required for youth under 18. See application for details.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Finalists will be invited to interview.
Program period: January 2024 to December 2024
With support from:
The Allstate Foundation empowers youth ages 5 to 25 to serve and improve communities.