$1.8M awarded to middle-school out-of-school time programs

The New York Life Foundation and the Afterschool Alliance are pleased to announce the 2024 Aim High grant recipients. Now in its eighth year, the Aim High grant has provided a total of $11.55 million dollars to afterschool, summer and expanded learning programs that help middle school students prepare for a successful transition to high school. In all, $1.8 million in grants were awarded to 40 youth development organizations across the country.

The Aim High grant program is part of the New York Life Foundation’s ongoing investment in OST programs to help middle school youth in under-resourced communities reach the 9th grade on time and better prepared for high school. Awardees were selected based on their ability to help youth transition successfully to ninth grade by providing opportunities that support students’ well-being, academic growth, and development of life and work skills.

Of the 40 grant awards, 10 are aimed specifically at supporting youth entrepreneurship. An additional ten grants focus on supporting social justice and racial equity efforts in out-of-school-time programs. The New York Life Foundation recognizes that it’s imperative to build on their ongoing commitment to support an equal and just society. The remaining 20 grants help programs expand or better serve youth in the transition to high school.

2024 Aim High Grant Winners

The following 10 organizations were awarded one-year grants of $15,000 to support youth entrepreneurship:

• After-School All-Stars DC, Washington, DC
• BEST Kids, Inc., Washington, DC
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston, Houston, Texas
• Community Outreach Coalition, Portsmouth, Virginia
• Evanston Youth Club for Boys & Girls, Evanston, Wyoming
• Homeless No More, Columbia, South Carolina
• The Immokalee Foundation, Naples, Florida
• Kismet of Kings, Jersey City, New Jersey
• Morrison Mentors, Inc., Hempstead, New York
• Women’s Housing & Economic Development Corp., Bronx, NY

The following 10 organizations were awarded one-year grants of $15,000 to advance racial and social justice:

• Citizens for a Sustainable Future, Inc., Tallahassee, Florida
• Colaborativa La Milpa, Asheville, North Carolina
• Generation Music & Arts Academy, San Lorenzo, California
• Literacy Connects, Tucson, Arizona
• Love Your Magic, Inc., Lynn, Massachusetts
• Música Franklin, Greenfield, Massachusetts
• Many Languages One Voice, Washington, DC
• The Shirley Proctor Puller Foundation, St. Petersburg, Florida
• Summerbridge Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky
• Visionary Youth, Lincoln, Nebraska

The following 10 organizations were awarded grants of $50,000, payable over two years:

• Aspire Afterschool Learning, Arlington, Virginia
• Charlotte Community Services Association, Charlotte, North Carolina
• Communities in Schools of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
• Family & Children’s Agency, Norwalk, Connecticut
• ForKids, Chesapeake, Virginia
• Latinitas, Austin, Texas
• Mighty Writers, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• New American Pathways, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia
• Reality Changers, San Diego, California
• vibe Theater Experience, Brooklyn, New York

The following 10 organizations were awarded grants of $100,000, payable over two years:

• After-School All-Stars North Texas, Dallas, Texas
• Aim High for High School, San Francisco, California
• Baton Rouge Youth Coalition, Inc., Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• Bronx River Art Center, Bronx, New York
• Casa Guadalupe Center, Allentown, Pennsylvania
• Fresh Youth Initiatives, Inc., New York, New York
• Girls Inc. of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
• Jamestown Community Center, San Francisco, California
• Soccer Without Borders, Baltimore, Maryland
• Omega Community Development Corp., Dayton, Ohio

Congratulations to the 2024 New York Life Aim High recipients!

Inspired by New York Life’s tradition of service and humanity, the New York Life Foundation has, since its founding in 1979, provided over $440 million in charitable contributions to national and local nonprofit organizations. To learn more about the New York Life Foundation, or the Aim High grant, visit www.newyorklifefoundation.org, or email us at aimhigh@afterschoolalliance.org.