About the Youth Fund

The Rebuilding Our Village NOLA Youth Fund was developed to support youth-led projects and initiatives that address economic stability, health and well-being & safety and justice. The pilot grant was launched in October 2022 and concluded in March 2023. This grant-making process was co-created alongside young people from the 2022 cohort of NOYA Youth Leadership Fellows. We are excited to continue this youth-centered initiative.

Thanks to support from GNOFN and FFL, NOYA is able to fund youth-led projects that address the following issues impacting young people:

• Economic Stability: Increasing access to economic stability for teens and young adults

• Health and Well-Being: Increasing access to quality mental health services

• Safety and Justice: Increasing the use of restorative practices in the community and any initiatives that promote safety for children and youth

Applicants must be young people between 12-24 years old residing in the Greater New Orleans Area. Nonprofit organizations with 501(c)3 designations may also apply as long as they are partnering with a young person/group of youth to execute the project. Award amounts for the Youth Fund will be between $1,000 - $5,000.

Grantees will be selected and applicants will be notified no later than March 18th, 2024.

Rebuilding Our Village NOLA is a youth-led policy platform created by the New Orleans Youth Alliance (NOYA) Youth Leadership Fellows that aims to improve the economic stability and well-being of young, Black New Orleanians.

Overview:

The toxic stress and trauma associated with poverty, systemic oppression, and climate change negatively impact the healthy development and wellbeing of Black youth. In our research, we have found that youth and families of color in New Orleans have been disproportionately and negatively impacted by a myriad of issues that are rooted in biases against womxn, young, LGBTQIA+, people with disabilities, aging, indigenous, and people of color. We have also found that decision-makers have historically and specifically overlooked and excluded the experiences and voices of young people in post-Katrina recovery and most recently the institution of the 2019 youth curfew. 

The NOYA Youth Leadership Fellows are proposing three policy strategies to mitigate the adverse impacts of these factors on the health and well-being, safety, and economic stability of Black youth and young adults in New Orleans: 

Health & Wellbeing

Increasing Access to Quality Mental Health Services Citywide

Economic Stability

Increase Economic Stability for Teens and Young Adults Through a Universal Basic Income

Safety & Justice

Increasing Restorative Justice Practices at Schools & Citywide

Health & Wellbeing

Goal:  Increase access to quality mental health care services citywide, in schools, and community-wide service centers.

Recommendation: The City of New Orleans has received nearly $400 million and the state of Louisiana will receive more than $5 billion in federal funds under the American Rescue Plan. The parameters for the use of these funds are less limited. We recommend New Orleans and the State of Louisiana use these funds to:

• Increase access to quality mental health care services citywide, in schools, and community-wide service centers in Black communities most plagued by poverty, violence, crime, and economic instability.

• Ensure schools are more equitably funded to meet the needs of students most adversely impacted by the pandemic. 

Encourage educators, school support staff/teams, juvenile justice, and other youth-serving organizations to enroll in NOYA’s Soul Rebel Bootcamp to enhance their knowledge, skills, and application of trauma-informed practices.

Economic Stability

Goal: Increase economic stability for teens and young adults (ages 14-24) through a Universal Basic Income (UBI).  

Recommendation: The City of New Orleans has received nearly $400 million and the state of Louisiana will receive more than $5 billion in federal funds under the American Rescue Plan. The parameters for the use of these funds are less limited. We recommend New Orleans and the State of Louisiana use these funds to:

• Increase economic stability for teens and young adults (ages 14-24) through a Universal Basic Income (UBI).

Safety & Justice

Goal: Increase the use of restorative justice practices in schools and citywide to create safe, developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive, inclusive, and compassionate learning environments and a greater New Orleans community. 

 Recommendations

The City of New Orleans has received nearly $400 million and the state of Louisiana will receive more than $5 billion in federal funds under the American Rescue Plan. The parameters for the use of these funds are less limited. We recommend New Orleans and the State of Louisiana use these funds to:

• Support educators, school support staff/teams, juvenile justice, and other youth and young adult-serving organizations to enroll in NOYA’s Soul Rebel Professional Development Series to enhance their knowledge, skills, and application of restorative justice and trauma-informed practices. 

• Ensure schools are more equitably funded to meet the needs of students most adversely impacted by the pandemic. 

• Provide funding, training, and build capacity for educators, juvenile justice, and other youth-serving organizations citywide and the broader community in restorative justice practices.

We are grateful to be endorsed by the following elected officials & organizations:

The Mayor’s Office of Youth and Families

Orleans Parish District Attorney
Jason Williams

Former NOLA Public Schools Superintendent
Dr. Henderson Lewis, Jr.