Island Health/Pacific Public Health Foundation Accepting Applications For Youth Resilience Grants

Island Health and the Pacific Public Health Foundation are accepting grant applications from organizations interested in helping build youth mental well-being and resilience.

For the first time, the two are partnering to allocate up to $450,000 for the Youth Resilience Grants program (previously known as Resilience and Safety Grants).

“Finding ways to improve youth mental health is an important public health priority, and we’re actively working with public health leaders to support innovative projects like the Youth Resilience Grant program,” according to Pacific Public Health Foundation.

“We look forward to collaborating with Island Health as we work toward our aims of emphasizing positive health promotion and proactively strengthening well-being.”

The grants, now in their third year, aim to help improve mental well-being and build youth resilience to challenging life events.

Not-for-profit organizations, schools and Indigenous-led organizations are invited to submit applications for initiatives that support youth health and wellness.

“These grants are filling a real gap in our system,” says Dr. Réka Gustafson, vice president, Population Health and chief medical health officer at Island Health.

“These kinds of programs are essential for the resilience and well-being of young people. Youth often tell us that what got them through challenging times was connection, that one mentor who made them feel seen or that one program that engaged them when they needed it the most.”

Grants of up to $50,000 are available to launch new projects/programs in communities across the Island Health region that aim to improve youth resiliency.

They are not intended to fund ongoing or existing programs.

The two organizations say disconnection and isolation from community and culture, impacts of climate change and the unregulated drug poisoning emergency have all contributed to increasing rates of poor mental health among youth.

They say many would benefit from supports to develop resilience in a changing world.

For more detailed information and to submit an application, visit Island Health.