POUGHKEEPSIE, NY – Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino today announced $239,782 in grant awards has been awarded to 26 municipalities and nonprofit, community-based organizations that provide free youth programming services to provide a variety of developmental opportunities to young people under the age of 21 through the New York State Youth Development Program (YDP). These grants, ranging from $5,000 to $18,500, promote positive youth development by advancing the well-being of youth. Award recommendations were made by the Dutchess County’s Youth Board and Coordinating Council, which is made up of community members, including youth, and representatives from various non-profit organizations.
Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino said, “Dutchess County remains committed to supporting local young people with the tools and opportunities they need to thrive as they grow into adulthood. These grants will help empower valued community partners who share our mission, and we’re grateful to work alongside organizations dedicated to guiding the next generation and securing a strong future for Dutchess County.”
Projects funded through the 2025-26 Youth Development Program include:
Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Mid-Hudson Young Environmental Scientists, $5,000 – Three-week paid summer research program that provides authentic research experience for youth who may not have access to robust science programming. Student teams work together to develop and implement a research project to understand local watershed ecology.
NAMI Mid-Hudson, Inc., Ending the Silence (ETS) Youth Mental Health Program, $8,000 – A 40-50-minute presentation in middle and high school classrooms, delivered by a lead presenter, and a young adult presenter’s mental health journey and story of recovery. ETS enhances mental health literacy, reduces stigma and promotes help-seeking behaviors, empowering youth with the tools to face mental health challenges while fostering resilience, awareness and a supportive community.
Dutchess Community College Foundation/DCC CARES, Surviving to Thriving, $9,000 – Provide postsecondary education dropout prevention and increase the retention and graduation rates of Dutchess County students between 17 and 21 years old, who are housing insecure, lack material basics, and struggle with mental health issues.
Dover Plains Library Association, Building Brains: Dover Youth Enrichment, $10,000 – Provides free support for Dover youth through an afterschool Homework Helpers program that pairs elementary and middle-school aged youth with high school students paid to work as their tutors. During the summer those relationships continue as the teens are paid to work as reading mentors for younger students.
Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum, Traveling Science, $5,000 – Bring interactive STEM education directly to communities, fostering 21st-century skills and academic growth among youth. Programs not only inspire curiosity and exploration but also encourage diverse participation, now with a renewed effort to include youth with disabilities.
Family Services, Inc., $8,000 – Youth programming provides engaging activities that improve mental health outcomes and promote positive youth development. Through group activities and individual/family therapy, the program supports social emotional development, builds resilience, bolsters skills and protective factors and prevents youth violence using evidence-based interventions.
Land to Learn, SproutEd Beacon, $8,000– Program brings garden-based education to four public elementary schools in Beacon throughout the school year, building food gardens and teaching lessons that educate students in gardening, environmental stewardship, nutrition, cooking, plant science, ecology and food systems.
North East Community Center, Inc., Youth Development Programs: CPSB Teen Jobs
(Community Partnership with Schools and Business), $16,000 – Workforce development program for high school youth at NECC; participants aged 14-20 become paid interns at local businesses where they are trained and mentored by adult employees.
Staatsburg Library, Youth Creative Collective, $7,000 – Will provide programming to Staatsburg/Hyde Park middle school and high school youth ages 10-17, both after school and during summer break to encourage positive youth development through experiences in the arts and through leadership/mentoring activities.
The Art Effect, Spark Studios, $14,000 – Spark Studios, a workforce development initiative by The Art Effect, offers a safe and dynamic learning environment for underserved youth aged 14-19; students develop valuable skills in film editing, sound, lighting, and video production, while also receiving immediate economic support.
Red Hook Community Center, Inc., RHCC Teen Group, $5,000 – Provides afterschool programming to middle school and high school youth, typically 11-17 years old, thrice weekly on school days and once weekly during summer break. RHCC Teen Group is a teen-informed program guided and facilitated by RHCC staff to promote creative and pro-social community engagement.
Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corp Inc., Junior Corps Member Program, $18,500 – Program fosters members’ development into confident and capable leaders with the knowledge and skills to excel in emergency medical services. Members learn emergency medical procedures, patient care and communication skills and participate in team-building exercises and leadership workshops applicable in all life areas.
Town of East Fishkill, Too Good for Drugs, $7,300 – School-based drug prevention program designed to reduce students intention to use alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs, while promoting pro-social attitudes, skills and behaviors. The program seems to build the self-confidence of students, so they are better prepared to make healthy choices and achieve success.
Child Abuse Prevention Center Inc., Personal Safety Program, $18,000 –Provides free, evidence based abuse and bullying prevention lessons to students in their classrooms. Students receive tools and resources for identifying and reporting physical, emotional, sexual abuse and neglect, bullying and “digital dangers.”
Vassar College, Exploring Science at the Vassar Preserve Youth Interns, $8,000 – An environmental science program coordinated by the Environmental Cooperative at the Vassar Barns, which provides youth with opportunities to learn about nature in the Hudson Valley through a science lens. The program aims to teach children about local ecology and inspire an interest and comfort in the natural world.
Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County, Green Teen Workforce Development through
Community Gardening, $13,000 – Teens are employed by CCEDC, earning a wage and building a resume while learning the skills and behaviors employers seek and other life skills. Youth work up to 128 hours per season in the community garden, where they learn vocational skills and grow over 1,200 pounds of vegetables which they distribute to the community through a youth-run free farm stand.
Hudson River Housing, Inc., HRH Youth Enrichment Program, $17,000 – Provides an array of year-round activities for runaway, homeless and other at-risk youth temporarily residing at HRH’s River Haven Youth Shelter. These activities are designed to promote the physical and emotional health, curtail involvement in health-risk behaviors and build developmental assets among the youth to participate in 2025-26.
Astor Services, Equine Assisted Learning Program, $7,500 – Will collaborate with Lucky Orphans Horse Rescue for an Equine Assisted Learning Workshop series to benefit youth ages 15-17 who are enrolled in mental health services at a Dutchess County Astor Counseling Center. Youth will go to Lucky Orphans for eight sessions.
Chamber Foundation, Inc., Next-Gen Summer Academy, $11,000 – A free three-week immersive program where youth between the ages of 14-21 learn about 21st century skills and computer literacy through 3D printing, virtual augmented reality (VR/AR), robotics, game design/development and coding.
Poughkeepsie Farm Project, Green Jobs for Youth, $10,000 – Program prepares youth ages 14-20 for careers in farming, gardening, and food education; increases local economic and food security; and supports youth in job searches and placement by connecting them with potential employers.
Pine Plains Free Library, Kids Club, $5,000 – Provides children ages 6-11 with a free afternoon program Monday through Thursday, offering a fun, safe environment, with healthy snacks and educational and creative activities; program is geared toward children of families who cannot afford formal afterschool programs, or those who need a more flexible environment due to special needs.
Dutchess County Pride Center, Intergenerational Get Togethers, $5,000 – Monthly intergenerational get togethers between LGBTQ+ youth and their families and other LGBTQ+ adults in the community that include monthly events, such as meals, movie nights and panel discussions with the goal of teaching families how to be more supportive of their LGBTQ+ youth and how to be supportive to the LGBTQ+ community.
Pleasant Valley Fire District, Braveheart: Girls in Emergency Services Academy, $7,000 – A free, two-day program for youth under 18 years of age that introduces participants to careers in fire, EMS, dispatch, and law enforcement. Held at the Pleasant Valley Fire Station, the program offers hands-on training, leadership development and life-saving skills like CPR and Stop the Bleed.
Poughkeepsie United Methodist Church (PUMC), Harriet Tubman Academic Skills Center, $7,482 – Provides an after-school program and a summer program to at-risk children that live in or near the Tubman Apartment Complex in the City of Poughkeepsie. The mission of the program is to provide an after-school program that facilitates academic success, develops strong character and creates independent thinkers with a love of learning.
Beekman Library, Y.E.S. Youth Empowerment through Service, $5,000 – High-school teens will contribute to their community and gain leadership skills by acting as library volunteers. Each participating teen will apply to the program and supply two references. Teens may apply to serve as volunteer shelvers, program leaders or academic mentors to younger children.
Town of Stanford Recreation, Recipes 4 Kids, $5,000 – Program designed to give children age-appropriate and easy-to-follow recipes that they can recreate at home for snacks and meals; youth learn the basics of measuring, cutting, assembling, cooking and baking.
