JOHNSTOWN — The Community Foundation for the Alleghenies’ 2015 Youth Philanthropy Interns announced on Thursday afternoon (August 13, 2015) that they awarded three grants in the amounts of $25,000, $20,000, and $5,000.

Kylee Farabaugh, David Saylor, Hayden Spangler, Tabitha Weaver, and senior intern Mikella Buncich awarded $25,000 to the Cambria County Prevention Coalition to fund “R.A.V.E.” (Reduce Alcohol Violence & Experimentation), a program that aims to provide students with engaging activities for after-school events to prevent substance abuse.

The Cambria County Prevention Coalition will be implementing a new program to distribute “mini grants” to school districts that express interest in hosting an event that provides alternative activities that discourage students from drug and alcohol use. The project goal is to provide activities following school functions throughout the year to students all over the region. They believe that the knowledge of the Prevention Coalition teamed with the youth perspective of high school students will prove to be a great collaboration to reduce alcohol violence.

The second team, consisting of Mikita Hill-Cashaw, Kate McGrath, Leah Sprock, Joshua Wagner, and senior intern Ryan King, awarded $20,000 to Mount Aloysius College and $5,000 to Youth Leadership Bedford County to fund “Youthful Direction Initiatives,” programs that intend to invest and involve our community’s youth to increase respect for our region, while teaching leadership qualities.

Mount Aloysius College will use the funding to start a program that engages youth ages 16-18 to become more civically engaged and learn valuable leadership skills. The program will help the students to discover business opportunities and programs that exist in our region. Additionally it will encourage the students to impact our region in a positive way.

Youth Leadership Bedford County will use the funding to expand their leadership academy. The expansion will include a larger service project that will involve students in the Bedford region.  Additionally the grant will be used to fund an educational networking trip to Harrisburg, where the students will visit the State Capitol. Youth Leadership Bedford County has been very successful so far and 2016 will be its 11^th year.