Engaging Young People as Community Leaders
Through our Youth Advisory Councils (YACs), local high school students have the opportunity to be community leaders and decision-makers about issues impacting local youth. Our YACs are made up of young people from each of the five counties we serve—Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, and Leelanau.
Together, YAC students act as advisors to our Youth Endowment. They annually review grant applications and recommend grant awards, giving money to youth programs and services that make a difference across the region. To guide their grant decisions, YACs use our Youth Needs Assessment, which is updated every three years with data from local youth.
Why Join?
Our YACs offer students the chance to:
- Be decision makers for youth issues, needs, and opportunities.
- Build leadership skills.
- Earn community service hours.
- Learn about local philanthropy.
- Give back to our community.
The program is open to high school students (home school, private and public school students) in Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska and Leelanau Counties. Interested students can complete a New Member Interest Form on our website here: Youth Advisory Council Program : Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation (gtrcf.org)
