Applications Open! 2027 SCI Youth Grant Pitch Contest
Applications Open! 2027 Youth Grant Pitch Contest
Funding + Mentorship Opportunity – Call for Youth Teams and Volunteers
SCI Social Capital Inc. is seeking 15 youth teams with students in grades 9-12 from Greater Boston to apply for the 2027 SCI Youth Grant Pitch Contest – our annual program that provides youth with access to adult-mentoring relationships, financial support, and network-building for their own social connection impact projects, while bridging communities across Greater Boston.
All high-school aged youth from Greater Boston are invited to apply. Apply as a youth team at socialcapitalinc.org/ygpc.
Priority deadline is November 9, 2026. Final deadline is November 25, 2026.
Selected youth teams will have the opportunity to receive up to $2,000 in grant funding to implement their community project idea. Youth teams will also receive guidance and support from two volunteer Pitch Coaches.
“I loved the opportunity to meet so many people from such different backgrounds. My team and I had a great opportunity to connect with one another on a level we otherwise couldn't have.”
Youth teams’ social connection projects can address a range of pressing community needs that fall under one of three impact tracks:
- Bridge-building
- Mental Health
- STEAM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Art, Math)
~ Bridge-building projects bring together youth from different communities or different identity groups through cultural exchange and social engagement.
~ Mental Health projects have an explicit or primary focus on supporting youth or community mental health.
~ STEAM projects have an explicit or primary focus on engagement through science, technology, engineering, art, and/or math.
SCI is also actively recruiting 30 Pitch Coaches as volunteers to mentor youth teams through a series of 8 weekly, 1-hour coaching sessions and a rehearsal from February through April 2027. Pitch Coaches will mentor youth teams in developing and refining their pitch, slide deck, and budget proposal. To volunteer as a Pitch Coach, please apply at socialcapitalinc.org/ygpc.
The volunteer application deadline is December 18, 2026. Volunteer matching begins in December 2026.
“I was able to build stronger connections with my team of youth by collaborating, listening to their ideas, and supporting them through the process. It was rewarding to see their excitement and growth.”
The program will culminate in the 2027 Pitch Event, an in-person event on April 10, 2027, where a panel of judges will listen to the pitches and choose which teams will be awarded the grant funds for project implementation. Teams awarded funding will complete their respective projects by the end of 2027.
Learn more at socialcapitalinc.org/ygpc or sign-up to chat with SCI Program Manager, Nicole Osborne, for more info at bit.ly/ygpcinfo.
About SCI
SCI’s mission is to strengthen communities by connecting diverse individuals and organizations through civic engagement initiatives. SCI works to increase social connection by developing leaders who cultivate thriving, inclusive communities where all people enjoy positive social, economic and health outcomes. The 2027 SCI Youth Grant Pitch Contest is supported by a state budget line item supported by Senator Cindy Friedman. Major support for SCI Programs is provided by Cummings Foundation.
