WFU students, Winston-Salem youth awarded mini grants

Through funding from Youth Service America, the Youth Engagement Coalition (YEC) – which comprises the Office of Civic & Community Engagement (OCCE) at Wake Forest University, HandsOn NWNC, and the Forsyth County Young Leaders Program – is supporting sixth youth-led, community-based projects in Winston-Salem.

Proposals were reviewed and winners were selected by the YEC, which aims to increase youth service engagement in the community. Four Wake Forest students and two Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School students were awarded mini-grants of $500 or $1,000. 

Criteria for grant proposals can be viewed here. Learn more about the mini-grant winners below.

Carly Evans
Mount Tabor High School
Community Partner: The Ken Carlson Boys and Girls Club 

Carly Evans is developing an educational art program for children that will introduce them to new mediums and techniques. Through the program, which will be held in partnership with The Ken Carlson Boys and Girls Club, children will be able to learn about art and discover what they enjoy through different practices and techniques. At the conclusion of the program, students will have the chance to showcase their art to others and will receive a kit with all of the supplies they used in an effort to continue their artwork. 

Through the program, Carly wants the participants to be able to express themselves through art in ways they feel comfortable. She hopes that by exposing them to different forms of artistic expression, the children will be able to continue their creative efforts and exploration throughout their lives. 

Rebekah Lassiter
Wake Forest University
Community Partner: New Story Church  

In partnership with New Story Church, Rebekah Lassiter is implementing a 24/7, accessible healthcare stand. Modeled after the ‘Little Free Library’, the stand will include health care resources such as face masks, hand sanitizer, feminine hygiene products, winter gloves, sunscreen, and more. 

Additionally, the stand will provide educational pamphlets – available in both English and Spanish – to help address the needs and concerns of residents while also providing accessible educational resources. The pamphlets will cover a variety of topics, including essential health care precautions, concerns, resources as well as basic protocols in relation to COVID-19. 

Ella-Brook Morgan
West Forsyth High School
Community Partner: a/perture Cinema and Innovation Quarter

In March 2020 Ella-Brook Morgan founded Virtual & in-Person Tutoring Services (ViP) – a youth-led nonprofit and community outreach organization based in Clemmons, N.C., that serves as a free education resource for underserved students in Forsyth County who need extra academic support. 

In partnership with a/perture Cinema, ViP tutoring will reward its students and families with ‘The ViP Treatment’. Students will be treated to an outdoor movie, with themes around inclusivity, perseverance, and inspiration. Priority seating will be given to students who’ve shown exceptional improvement in the subjects they’ve struggled with – but all attendees will be recognized at the event. Through ‘The ViP Treatment’, she hopes the ViP team of tutors, tutees, and their families will share an evening of celebration and connection to the community.

Anna Price
Wake Forest University
Community Partner: Diggs Latham Community Garden

Anna Price is developing an interactive science curriculum for a variety of grade levels in the Diggs Latham Elementary School garden. In an effort to enrich early education in the community and provide children with an intensive hands-on learning experience outdoors, she plans to add interactive signage to the garden. Available in both English and Spanish, the signs will provide scientific and common plant names, information about what the plant is used for, whether or not it is edible, and more. 

Additionally, Price’s project aims to promote equity in access to green spaces for the community, cultivate a sense of environmental curiosity beyond the classroom and increase student engagement in the garden.  

Lauren Recto
Wake Forest University
Community Partner: Imprint Cares 

A regular volunteer at Imprint Cares – an early childhood education nonprofit that supports children and families from prenatal through middle school – Lauren Recto hopes to support young girls by introducing and encouraging them to pursue interests in STEM by bringing them to Wake Forest University for a day-long field trip. 

Throughout their time on the Reynolda Campus, young students will have the opportunity to participate in STEM activities alongside WFU students and professors. Her hope is that through the experience, students will be immersed in a fun learning environment while learning more about STEM and the careers they can pursue in the field. 

Victor Ringheanu
Wake Forest University
Community Partner: Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina 

Victor Ringheanu co-founded R.C. Barbecue – a student-led organization that prepares and sells high-quality barbecue plates to Wake Forest University students and residents in the greater Winston-Salem area. R.C. Barbecue is currently working to fulfill a pledge of raising $5,000 for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina by cooking and selling its signature plates of barbecue. 

Beyond raising money for Second Harvest, R.C. Barbecue aims to bring awareness to Wake Forest University students about issues of food insecurity in the Winston-Salem community. In the state of North Carolina, 1,417,440 people are food insecure, which includes 49,560 residents of Forsyth County. Through their work, Ringheanu and the members of R.C. Barbecue are hoping to make an impact in reducing rates of food insecurity in our community through active involvement.