By Scarlet Thalman
BCR Correspondent
The Berrien County Youth Advisory Council is one of the Michigan Gateway Community Foundation’s key programs, and it is focused on meeting youth needs within the community while promoting youth civic engagement and service within its young members. The organization is a part of the larger statewide youth philanthropy movement and is supported by the matching grant from the Kellogg Foundation — which matches 1 dollar for every 2 dollars raised by a community foundation that started a Youth Advisory Committee — generating about $18,000 for the purpose of meeting the needs of youth in the areas of South Berrien County and Cass County. These funds are then allotted with the help of the students through awarding mini grants to projects they believe will address important issues facing young people in the community.
The Council consists of a group of young community members, each of whom begins their work as a student going into 9th or 10th grade in a school within the foundation’s service area, specifically any high school within Buchanan, Niles, Brandywine, Ross Beatty (Cassopolis), Dowagiac, Edwardsburg, and Marcellus School Districts. The foundation is looking for diverse perspectives within its member population and looks to have one to two students per school as well as individuals who can represent diverse populations. The criteria help ensure that funds are used to meet the needs of the entire student population rather than only certain groups or demographics.
The responsibilities of members include first identifying youth needs within their schools and learning about challenges within the area such as substance abuse, mental health, and safety issues — they use this information as a factor in evaluation. They then meet monthly to read and evaluate proposals for youth-focused projects and assess if the request meets community needs and supports the goals of the organization. After assessing, they discuss applications as a group and decide what should receive funding, finally making formal recommendations to the Foundation’s Board of Trustees. Outside of allotting funds, the members of the council are also expected to volunteer within the community through service projects and local nonprofit activities and are expected to build, through each of these responsibilities, business and philanthropy skills. Students take on this role for different reasons; one member, Lyla Holtgren, a representative from Niles High School, said she “joined to be a voice for the youth in her surrounding communities,” and others join for similar reasons.
In the past, the Youth Advisory Council has had a significant impact within its service area, providing critical funding to a wide variety of efforts addressing Health and Wellness, Education and Arts, and Culture and Humanities issues. Some specific efforts reportedly approved by the Youth Advisory Council, according to the Michigan Gateway Foundation website, for the most recent 2024 November Mini-Grant Cycle included:
- $200 toward the NHS Free Food Pantry at Buchanan High School
- $300 toward expanding the culture library section for Culture Studies at Niles Community Schools
- $300 toward supporting the Cassopolis Middle School Fishing Club at Cassopolis Middle School
These projects, along with the organization’s larger donations to groups such as the Ronald McDonald House and Southwestern Michigan College, show both the depth and breadth of the council’s impact within the community, providing funding to groups that represent a wide range of needs and populations.
For current initiatives, Holtgren stated, “The group is focusing on helping local areas address food insecurity and donating either money or food to people in need.” She also mentioned that this is not their only focus, as the group is actively working on additional service projects throughout the community, including one currently planned for December.
Looking ahead, the Michigan Gateway Community Foundation’s Youth Advisory Council will continue strengthening youth leadership and expanding its impact across Berrien and Cass Counties. According to Holtgren, she is optimistic for the future and believes the lasting change that the group is making will continue through its coming years of service. She is confident the council will continue to provide all kids the same opportunities and leave a legacy of youth leadership and service.
Students who meet these criteria can apply by completing the Youth Advisory Council’s application form, which is available through the Foundation website. The council is currently accepting applications that meet the criteria, are committed and engaged, and who also believe they would be profoundly impacted by the YAC experience rather than those looking to add to a résumé.