(Photo courtesy of Cascades Academy)
High School students at Cascades Academy presented more than $9,000 in grants Thursday through the Oregon Community Foundation Community 101 program, supporting two Central Oregon nonprofits focused on upstream prevention in youth mental health.
Through Community 101, the Oregon Community Foundation provided $7,500 in grant funding, while Cascades Academy students raised an additional $1,630 through a community rummage sale.
Student grant awards included $4,815 to Hearts Unknown Education and $4,315 to NAMI Central Oregon.
Community 101 is a classroom-based program that gives students hands-on experience in philanthropy, community engagement, and nonprofit grantmaking. Throughout the year, students researched local needs, evaluated nonprofit organizations, and determined how to allocate funding to maximize community impact.
At Cascades Academy, community impact and real-world learning are woven throughout the student experience beginning in elementary school, with students regularly engaging in service, leadership, environmental stewardship, and hands-on projects designed to make a meaningful difference beyond the classroom.
