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PARTNERSHIP IN ACTION
Positive Youth Development Seed Grant
Each year, the Mary and Frances Youth Center offers seed funding to support community-driven programs that advance positive youth development across the Richmond region.
ABOUT THE GRANT
Investing in community-driven youth programs
The MFYC Positive Youth Development Seed Grant supports collaborative projects that integrate the Youth Center in meaningful ways and demonstrate a clear plan for sustainability beyond one year.
Located on VCU's Monroe Park Campus, MFYC fosters innovative, sports-based, and life skills programming that strengthens youth development, expands access to higher education opportunities, and empowers adults to support youth success.
📄 View the Full 2026 RFP Details
2026 GRANT OVERVIEW
GRANT FOCUS AREAS
Empowering youth to broaden expectations and discover their talents
Inspire youth to identify and engage their talents
Support youth in strengthening their life skills through sports
Engage youth and family in living healthy lifestyles
Foster best practices in youth development
Provide professional development for youth educators
TYPES OF PROGRAMS WE ENCOURAGE
A series of workshops or classes for youth that take place at the Youth Center. These could range from arts and crafts to coding or science experiments. We'd love for these workshops to be interactive, engaging, and possibly culminate in a showcase event at the Youth Center.
A community service project that involves both the youth and community partners, with planning sessions or reflection meetings held at the Youth Center.
Sports-based activities that promote teamwork, health, and wellness among youth at the MFYC.
A mentorship program where youth can be paired with mentors from the community and VCU. The Youth Center could serve as a meeting place for mentor-mentee pairs, providing a safe and supportive environment for meetings, workshops, or group activities focused on personal development, career exploration, or academic guidance.
With the world moving towards more tech-driven solutions, we’re eager to support programs that introduce or expand youth’s knowledge and skills in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) areas
The Richmond Youth Development Network strives to be a regional hub for professional development that supports positive youth development. We are excited to hear from our partners what professional development opportunities would best support their staff and how the Richmond YDN can provide those opportunities.
A series of events or programs that provide opportunities for families to learn, play, and engage with one another.
Support employees and staff towards achieving advanced training
GRANT AWARDEES
We are proud to announce the ten recipients of the 2026 Positive Youth Development Seed Grant. Each project advances youth development across the Richmond region in a unique and meaningful way.
🏆 10 projects funded | Grant period June 2026 to May 2027
Thrive Collective Services
The Thrive Family Lab: A Youth and Caregiver Life Skills and Wellness Series
An 8-week structured family engagement series integrating life skills development, emotional regulation, communication building, and healthy lifestyle practices to strengthen youth resilience and caregiver confidence.
Money Maker
Dollars N Sense
A hands-on financial literacy curriculum for students in grades 3 to 8, building skills from basic money recognition to long-term wealth strategies, including budgeting, saving, investing, and credit concepts.
Peter Paul
STEM in Sports Career Exploration Program
Introduces 4th and 5th-grade students from Richmond's East End to real-world connections between STEM and sports through hands-on experiments in motion, force, biomechanics, and sports equipment design. Led by VCU students.
River City Dreams
Fostering Culture and the Soil of GRIT: A Youth and Educator Pilot at MFYC
A hands-on STEM enrichment program engaging Richmond youth in aviation, engineering, and technology through drone flight training, engineering challenges, and team-based problem-solving with VCU student volunteers.
Valentina's Voice Consulting Firm
The Confidence Closet Lab
A five-session youth design and confidence-building program where participants select and reconstruct prom closet garments — one for personal wear, one donated back — building creativity, communication, and decision-making skills.
PodiumRVA
Step. Write. Up
Weekly writing and communication workshops for youth ages 10 to 14, spanning journalism, debate, poetry, theatrics, and prose. Facilitated by program alumni and VCU students, with family writing nights and showcases.
PodiumRVA
Step. Write. Up
Weekly writing and communication workshops for youth ages 10 to 14, spanning journalism, debate, poetry, theatrics, and prose. Facilitated by program alumni and VCU students, with family writing nights and showcases.
Freelance Scholar - The Human Lab Project
Mind-up: Developing Mindful Mindsets
Structured sessions addressing life challenges through mindfulness and mindset frameworks. Youth engage in guided lectures, real-world application, and co-design using human-centered and backward design principles.
The Sacred Heart Center
Puentes al Futuro Mentorship Program
A mentorship program pairing Boushall Middle School students ages 11 to 14 with Latino college students and community professionals to explore career paths, develop new skills, and prepare for high school and beyond.
Starseeds Learning Lab
Starseeds Learning Garden: Design, Food Systems and Storytelling (Phase 2)
Phase 2 of a youth-led Learning Garden at MFYC. Youth expand the space into a functional community garden, engaging in hands-on design, building, and food-based learning connected to health, environment, and community storytelling.