social capital noun. the value of our social networks & relationships

2025 SCI Youth Grant Pitch Contest Recap

Published by Leah Mulrenan on

15 Youth Teams Awarded $20,000 from SCI’s Youth Pitch Event

The 4th year of SCI Social Capital Inc.’s Youth Grant Pitch Contest wrapped up at La Colaborativa’s Survival & Economic Development Center with a Pitch Event on Saturday, April 5, 2025. Fifteen student teams from nonprofits, schools, and community programs in Greater Boston pitched community-impact project ideas to a panel of judges, who then awarded grant funds based on contest criteria. A total of $20,000 was awarded amongst the 15 teams with grant awards ranging from $600 to $2,000.

SCI welcomed over 190 people to the Pitch Event in Chelsea, MA, with youth participants, program volunteers, family, supporters, and invited guests in attendance. One attendee shared that the Pitch Event was “an awesome celebration of youth ideas.”

The projects were all inspiring and presented with unbelievable enthusiasm. The judges had a difficult time making final decisions on funding, and attempted to find ways to support the teams in other ways. For example, Lynn Lady Leaders request of $2,000, was fulfilled with $1,700 in grant funding and $300 in gift cards to cover their food donated by Pitch Event judge Guillermo Fernandez, Chief Financial Officer of Stop and Compare Markets!

In total, over 85 young people aged 8-19 years old were involved in the 2025 SCI Youth Grant Pitch Contest. The 2025 Youth Grant Pitch Contest featured two funding tracks: Social Impact and Bridge-Building. Social Impact projects provide community service, arts & culture access, peer support, and/or addressing mental health. Bridge-Building projects bring together people from different communities or different identity groups through cultural exchange and social engagement. The Bridge-Building focus area is a new funding track established in 2025 and supported through funding provided by Boston Bridges Initiative.

Social Impact Track:

  • Be My Buddy from Friends of Costa Park in Revere. Awarded $1,000.
  • Community Health Youth Cohort from La Colaborativa in Chelsea. Awarded $1,200.
  • Con Manos Unidas We Change from EASTIE Coalition in East Boston. Awarded $1,150.
  • Generation Green from Menebere Leule Medhanealem EOTC in Malden. Awarded $1,000.
  • Lynn Lady Leaders from the Boys & Girls Club of Lynn in Lynn. Awarded $1,700.
  • One Student One Book One Dream Movement from Literacy and Water Movement in Lawrence. Awarded $1,150.
  • Soley from Immigrant Family Services Institute in Mattapan. Awarded $1,423.
  • The Gathering from Boston Public Schools Academic Mentoring in Boston. Awarded $2,000.

    Bridge-Building Track:

    • 4 Kids by Kids Tutoring, a youth-led initiative in Woburn. Awarded $1,100.
    • Moses Youth Center Boys II Men from Cambridge Youth Programs in Cambridge. Awarded $2,000.
    • Resilience for Refugees from Wilmington High School in Wilmington. Awarded $700.
    • RIOT Squad from La Colaborativa in Chelsea. Awarded $600.
    • Spectrum Club from Woburn Memorial High School in Woburn. Awarded $2,000.
    • Team Warm Welcome, a youth-led initiative in Boston. Awarded $2,000. 
    • Winchester High School Sociology Class from Winchester High School in Winchester. Awarded $1,000.
    The Be My Buddy team from Friends of Costa Park was awarded $1,000 to develop a peer support program for middle schoolers. The project aims to help address loneliness and psychological distress among their peers by building social networks that are accessible to peers their age.
    The Be My Buddy team from Friends of Costa Park was awarded $1,000 to develop a peer support program for middle schoolers. The project aims to help address loneliness and psychological distress among their peers by building social networks that are accessible to peers their age.
    The Boys II Men - Moses Youth Center team from Cambridge Youth Programs was awarded $2,000 to support a summit focused on raising awareness for teen substance abuse. The event will empower people with the knowledge and skills needed to make better choices related to substance use. This is the 3rd year the Moses Youth Center is participating in the SCI Youth Grant Pitch Contest. Last year, they had a youth team called the Neighborhood Service Project where they were awarded $1,700 to help combat housing insecurity. In 2023, the Neighborhood Service Project from the Moses Youth Center received $1,600 for a community party called the Summer Kickoff Mental Health Day.
    The Boys II Men - Moses Youth Center team from Cambridge Youth Programs was awarded $2,000 to support a summit focused on raising awareness for teen substance abuse. The event will empower people with the knowledge and skills needed to make better choices related to substance use. This is the 3rd year the Moses Youth Center is participating in the SCI Youth Grant Pitch Contest. Last year, they had a youth team called the Neighborhood Service Project where they were awarded $1,700 to help combat housing insecurity. In 2023, the Neighborhood Service Project from the Moses Youth Center received $1,600 for a community party called the Summer Kickoff Mental Health Day.
    The Community Youth Health Cohort team from La Colaborativa in Chelsea was awarded $1,200. With their grant award, they will host a community health fair with the goal of providing information about mental health, nutrition, and sexual health. Funds will be used to create infant care packages, self-care baskets, and menstrual support kits. The Community Health Youth Cohort was one of two teams from La Colaborativa. The second, RIOT Squad, was awarded $600 to create a podcast aimed at raising awareness for issues in their community, such as juvenile delinquency. RIOT Squad also had a youth team in the 2023 Youth Grant Pitch Contest. They were awarded $1,500 to start a podcast aimed at amplifying the Black and Latino experience in Chelsea, local education policies, the vocational school bill, and mental health resources for youth.
    The Community Youth Health Cohort team from La Colaborativa in Chelsea was awarded $1,200. With their grant award, they will host a community health fair with the goal of providing information about mental health, nutrition, and sexual health. Funds will be used to create infant care packages, self-care baskets, and menstrual support kits. The Community Health Youth Cohort was one of two teams from La Colaborativa. The second, RIOT Squad, was awarded $600 to create a podcast aimed at raising awareness for issues in their community, such as juvenile delinquency. RIOT Squad also had a youth team in the 2023 Youth Grant Pitch Contest. They were awarded $1,500 to start a podcast aimed at amplifying the Black and Latino experience in Chelsea, local education policies, the vocational school bill, and mental health resources for youth.
    Grant awards were determined with the support of two groups of judges: One for Social-Impact pitches, and the other for Bridge-Building pitches. Social-Impact judges (pictured, left to right) included Wilmer Quiñones-Melo, Rodney Perez, Guillermo Fernandez-Velasco, Beatriz Bloodworth, and Andres Cuartas. Bridge-Building judges included Jennifer Kelley, Beth Llewellyn, Jen Williams, Colin Redd, and Adriana Mendes-Sheldon.
    Grant awards were determined with the support of two groups of judges: One for Social-Impact pitches, and the other for Bridge-Building pitches. Social-Impact judges (pictured, left to right) included Wilmer Quiñones-Melo, Rodney Perez, Guillermo Fernandez-Velasco, Beatriz Bloodworth, and Andres Cuartas. Bridge-Building judges included Jennifer Kelley, Beth Llewellyn, Jen Williams, Colin Redd, and Adriana Mendes-Sheldon.

    The goal of SCI’s Youth Grant Pitch Contest is to connect youth across Greater Boston communities with volunteer coaches who mentor the youth in the development of their community project and pitch to strengthen their community. This process develops valuable career skills such as public speaking, project management, and community organizing. Volunteering in this year’s Youth Grant Pitch Contest were 30 coaches who are active professionals from a variety of local startups, companies, and nonprofits such as United Healthcare, Cummings Foundation,  M&T Bank, Berkshire Bank, and Rhone Apparel. 

    Each youth team will have until December 2025 to complete their respective projects and will submit a project impact report by the end of January 2026. 

    The SCI Youth Grant Pitch Contest is made possible by SCI’s sponsors, individual donors, and a Massachusetts state budget line item, thanks to the advocacy of State Senator Cindy Friedman. The 2025 SCI Youth Grant Pitch Contest is sponsored by Boston Bridges Initiative; The Boston Foundation; Winning Home, Inc.; M&T Bank; Berkshire Bank; Benefact4; and Kick It for a Cause. Major support for SCI youth programming is provided by Cummings Properties. Thank you to La Colaborativa for their partnership in hosting Social Capital Inc.’s 2025 Pitch Event.

    The mission of SCI Social Capital Inc. is to strengthen communities by connecting diverse individuals and organizations through civic engagement initiatives. Visit socialcapitalinc.org to learn more about SCI programs and volunteer opportunities.

    Categories: Civic EngagementCommunity ConnectionsPress ReleaseSCI SpotlightYGPCYouth Leadership
    Tags:

    Related Posts

    A group picture taken in the main lounge of the Woburn Senior Center on Woburn’s 2nd Annual Kindness Day, where over 60 local students, residents, and volunteers celebrated the city holiday with games and art.
    Community Connections

    Roots of Connection: SCI LET’s Display of Kindness

    On Thursday, March 20, 2025, Social Capital Inc.’s Leaders for an Equitable Tomorrow (LET) celebrated Woburn’s 2nd Annual Kindness Day with the Woburn Senior Center at an intergenerational event called “Kind Activities for Seniors and Teens.” Over 60 local students, residents, and volunteers honored the power of kindness.

    2025 SCI Youth Grant Pitch Contest | Meet the Teams: Con Manos Unidas We Change Team Goal: “To unify the Latino community through a series of events in East Boston aimed at connecting community members, combating misinformation, and increasing access to essential services.”
    Civic Engagement

    Con Manos Unidas We Change – 2025 YGPC Team Spotlight

    Meet the Team! | Con Manos Unidas We Change Team Goal: Unify the Latino community through a series of events in East Boston Affiliation: EASTIE Coalition Community: East Boston, MA Meet Con Manos Unidas We Read more…

    2025 SCI Youth Grant Pitch Contest | Meet the Teams: Community Health Youth Cohort Team Goal: “To educate peers, gather community data, develop policy recommendations, and lead grassroots campaigns to reduce teen pregnancy and increase access to sexual health resources for Chelsea’s youth and immigrant families.”
    Civic Engagement

    Community Health Youth Cohort – 2025 YGPC Team Spotlight

    Meet the Team! | Community Health Youth Cohort Team Goal: Reduce teen pregnancy and increase access to sexual health resources for Chelsea’s youth and immigrant families. Affiliation: La Colaborativa Community: Chelsea, MA Meet Community Health Read more…