FFC Youth Leadership Micro-Grants

FFC has recently initiated a "micro-grant" award program – $1,000 full grants and additional $1,000 matching funds – to recognize, support, and encourage the visionary efforts of young people.

The remarkable initiative displayed by participants in the Children of Abraham Peace Essay Contest has motivated us to invest in both the particular projects they have undertaken and also their personal development as our future leaders. These high school students have researched the Abrahamic religious traditions, investigating topics like peace, leadership, and social justice, and used that knowledge to propose a creative project to benefit their community, their nation, or the world. Our public interest leadership program is modeled after the highly successful micro-loan program for private businesses in developing countries started by Muhammad Yunus, the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize winner.

Youth Leadership Micro-Grants take the form of cash awards presented to 10th and 11th grade students on the basis of the creativity, relevance, and viability of their proposed projects. We have found that the micro-grant awards have far reaching effects for these students, who have found themselves engaging with both family and community in new ways as they bring their chosen cause to the attention of concerned individuals.

Our program permits a $1,000 donation to become a $3,000 investment in projects that promote both the common good and civic engagement. Our young activists understand that the funds they are granted multiply to the extent that they are successful in raising additional funds, which are then matched by FFC. Please read on to learn a little about the creative enterprises that have been funded thus far.

2006- 2007 Youth Leadership Micro-Grant Award Winners:

Priya Agarwal-Harding
Priya Agarwal-Harding, now a senior at Glenelg Country School, works with an organization in India called PRAYAS, which offers shelter and other aid to victims of child-trafficking. Priya was able to spend some time during the winter of 2007-2008 working again with PRAYAS in India. The organization has launched a project they are calling “Girls’ Empowerment” (G-Power for short) in honor of her effort, which Priya will direct utilizing the award money and other money she has raised. Since returning home, Priya participated in another fundraiser for PRAYAS, and was able to raise another $1,600. Preview Priya Agarwal-Harding's PRAYAS video

Melissa Mergner
Melissa Mergner is a junior in the Communication Arts Program at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, Maryland. She has written and directed several short documentaries, including “Legacy of Peace” about Japan's A-bomb victims, and “Woody Guthrie: Voice of the Common Man.” Her films have won awards and have been shown at over 20 film festivals across the U.S. She is currently making a documentary about farm worker labor activist Baldemar Velasquez. Preview Melissa Mergner Quicktime Movies

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2007-2008 Youth Leadership Micro-Grant Award Winners:

Devika Jaipuriar
Devika Jaipuriar, a 10th grader at Glenelg Country School, envisions an outreach project to youngsters to teach them the basics of environmental awareness. Earth Girl! is a comic book about a superhero who is trying to save the world from pollution. The comic book will be a launching pad for a broader program involving a tour of Earth Girl to elementary and middle schools to discuss environmental stewardship. Devika says, "When we look at our planet Earth superficially, we generally see lush and aesthetically pleasing surroundings. But if one were to scratch under the surface, they would see that things are not as they appear. Because of things like air pollution and toxic wastes from factories, our planet is descending in a downwards spiral. But the factories are not the only ones at fault, us, common Americans, are also a part of the problem. And we, as custodians of this lovely planet, must do something to stop it. But that is not such an easy thing to accomplish; it will take a proactive leader to spread the word of this issue and inspire others to take action."

Jonathan Kesten
Jonathan Kesten, an 11th grader at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, Maryland, works with School Girls Unite (SGU), a non-profit organization that seeks to prioritize global girls' education by raising funds to educate underprivileged girls and spreading awareness within their communities about the lack of education of worldwide. A benefit concert to help girls in Mali receive an education is currently planned to take place from 6 pm - 10 pm, on September 5th, in Downtown Silver Spring on the main stage.

Ninety million girls in the world have never been in school, making up two-thirds of the world's uneducated children. Premature marriage is the main cause of the under-representation of girls in schools; over 51 million girls in developing countries are child brides. SGU is currently focusing on Mali, Africa, an impoverished nation that's labeled by UNICEF as one of the 25 countries needing emergency action for education - over 70% of the young girls are uneducated and the scarce schoolhouses are in horrible condition and poorly equipped with teachers and supplies. Currently, SGU and their sister organization in Mali are sponsoring over 70 elementary and high school girls. With the help of this grant, Jonathan hopes to organize a successful benefit concert, to raise additional funds to go directly to sponsoring more girls and building the school that the members of SGU have anticipated since the establishment of the organization. This institution will educate the young girls to one day be able to spread peace.

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