Grants: Focused on Youth

LEGACY Summer 2025 — Our Community Grants committee, in response to community concerns, focused 40 percent of the 2024 grant awards to fund programs for Marion’s youth. In addition to a $109,000 grant to the Marion Family YMCA to revitalize The Rec (see cover story) in downtown for local teens in grades 6-12, the following grant-supported programs are happening in Marion:

Boys & Girls Club of Marion County: Character & Leadership Program—Provides Club members with the skills to be caring and responsible community members

Explore-It-Torium operated by MARCA Industries—Enhances the Children’s Museum by updating the sensory room and introducing new sensory activities, ensuring a vibrant, electronics-free environment for imaginative play

Girls Rising of Marion County—Offers monthly Saturday retreats for middle and high school girls in Marion, providing a safe space to teach social-emotional skills, self-empowerment, healthy coping, and relationship skills to address trauma and the girls’ need for support

Let’s Read 20: Author visit—Jarrett Krosoczka visited during Let’s Read 20 Marion! Day; 300 copies of his book, Punk Farm, provided reading support in pre-K-grade 5 classrooms. His book is currently available on the Marion Tallgrass Trail Book Walk.

Mid-Ohio Fine Art Society: MOFAS Youth Outreach Program—Provides the youth of Marion County with visual art experiences in a variety of settings

Marion City Police: MPACT—Now officially headquartered at The Rec (see cover story), strives to build relationships and understanding within the community while providing youth mentorship and education

Marion Technical College: Teacher Manufacturing Boot Camp—A week-long program for K-12 teachers showcasing Marion’s manufacturing facilities, educating them on opportunities for their students to work in Marion after high school

Marion Family YMCA: Marion Mentors—Develop long-term mentoring relationships that help Marion area youth reach their highest potential through one-on-one and group mentoring and literacy

Tri-Rivers Career Center: ‘Expect To Be Amazing’ Summer Camp 2025—Elementary and middle school students can explore career pathways in a fun, summer camp setting

Marion County Sheriff’s Office: Project SERVE—Supporting community youth through fun and games, including Basketball for Youth in each village in Marion County

Harding Presidential Sites: Laddie Boy Mystery Club—An imaginative program geared toward promoting critical thinking in elementary-aged children with hands-on learning activities at the Harding Presidential Sites

READ ABOUT all the 2024 Community Grants

Footer