2026 SCI Youth Grant Pitch Contest kicked off on February 7th!
2026 SCI Youth Grant Pitch Contest kicked off on February 7th
On Saturday, February 7th, the 2026 SCI Youth Grant Pitch Contest officially got underway as youth teams and volunteer coaches gathered at Roxbury Community College for the Kickoff Event!
The event started off with Networking Bingo while having lunch, where attendees were able to meet and make new connections with each other for a chance to win raffle prizes. Then after a short presentation by SCI Program Manager, Nicole Osborne, youth teams got to spend the rest of the session team-building and working with their volunteer coaches.
This year’s program welcomes 14 teams from across Greater Boston that will develop & pitch social impact projects to a live panel of judges at the culminating Pitch Event, with an opportunity to receive $1,000-$2,000 in grant funding!
Watch the kickoff video below to meet and learn about our 2026 Youth Teams!
Stay tuned for more information about our teams and volunteer coaches, and save the date for the Pitch Event on Saturday, April 11th at Roxbury Community College! Sponsorship opportunities are now available for the Pitch Event and are also available for the program.
The SCI Youth Grant Pitch Contest provides youth with access to adult-mentoring relationships, financial support, and network-building resources, while intentionally cultivating connections across socioeconomic barriers in Greater Boston. Participating youth teams develop social impact project ideas through in-depth coaching with local professionals, before pitching their project to a live panel of judges at the culminating Pitch Event with an opportunity to receive $1,000-$2,000 in grant funding.
2026 Social Impact Focus Areas & Participating Teams
Arts & Culture → social impact projects increasing community access, engagement and/or connections through the arts, humanities, or sciences.
- Community Health Cohort | La Colaborativa, Chelsea
- Connor’s Kindness Project | Connor’s Kindness Project, Winchester/Woburn
- ECO (Environmental Chelsea Organizers) | GreenRoots, Chelsea
- Green Jobs | La Colaborativa, Chelsea
Bridge-building → social impact projects bringing together youth (and others) from different communities or different identity groups through cultural exchange and social engagement.
- Camp Warm Welcome | Camp Warm Welcome, Boston
- Con Manos Unidas We Change | De Nosotros Foundation & Eastie Coalition, East Boston
- EVkids Youth Leaders | EVkids, Boston
- Mass. Youth Climate Coalition | Massachusetts Youth Climate Coalition, Malden
- Soley | Immigrant Family Service Institute, Mattapan
Mental Health → social impact projects supporting youth or community: mental health, reducing mental health stigma, social determinants of mental health, and/or healthy lifestyles.
- BGCD Keystone | Boys & Girls Club of Dorchester, Dorchester
- Fortune Avenue | Fortune Avenue, Boston
- GrowWithGuidance | GrowWithGuidance Inc., Natick
- Project Look Good Feel Good | Brooke High School, Boston
- Lynn Lady Leaders | Boys & Girls Club of Lynn
The 2026 SCI Youth Grant Pitch Contest is made possible by the generous support of Boston Bridges Initiative, Winning Home, Inc., State Street Foundation, The Brooks & Joan Fortune Family Foundation, M&T Bank, The Boston Foundation, Kick It For A Cause, Boston Children’s Hospital, and a Massachusetts state budget line item (thanks to the advocacy of State Senator Cindy Friedman). Major support for SCI’s youth programs is provided by Cummings Properties.
For more information visit socialcapitalinc.org/ygpc.
