Submitted By Monica M. Bailey, ACDC Director

ACDC offers a number of workforce programs that connect students with opportunities in their county, such as the Youth Professionalism Workshop, job shadowing days, and Careers on Wheels. In addition to local career awareness and education, we also know that leadership and volunteerism must be cultivated. When young people create something tangible and see that their work has made an impact in their backyard, it matters. Those experiences show them that they can make a difference in their community.
To that end, we have created #MakeACBeautiful, a grant program for youth aged 10-17 (5th-11th grade). A grant of at least $500 will be awarded to a beautification project in each of the three school district areas. Grants will be submitted by team of at least three youth, plus an adult partner (community leader/parent/teacher). Grant projects will beautify an area that is not on school grounds. Examples might include: landscaping (clean-up of a rundown lot, planting flowers or trees), art (mural on the side of a building, paintings on crosswalks), or something new (recreation, additional park features, landmark).
Applications are due August 31, with winners announced mid-September. Projects must completed by July 31, 2019. Please contact us via email (acdc@atchisoncounty.org), phone (660-744-6562) or via social media, and we’ll send an application packet your way.