Community planning program coaches student groups to enhance quality of life in their communities
INDIANAPOLIS (Oct. 16, 2023) – Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) today announced that applications are open for the My Community, My Vision (MCMV) program, which connects high school students across Indiana to each other and to their neighborhoods, towns and cities.
“The future of Indiana will be built on the vision of today’s Hoosier students,” said Lt. Gov. Crouch, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “My Community, My Vision provides an opportunity for the leaders of tomorrow to share their ideas and collaborate with local officials to make real change in their community. I look forward to seeing the how these fresh, innovative projects will benefit communities across the state.”
Five selected cohorts of high school students across the state will participate in four months of workshops, planning and fundraising for a place-based community project they would like to see come to life in their town or city. Utilizing the features of IHCDA’s CreatINg Places program, students who successfully strategize, plan and reach a fundraising goal of between $5,000 and $25,000 towards their community project will receive a matching grant from IHCDA.
High school youth council groups, alongside a foundation, nonprofit or local unit of government sponsor will work throughout the semester to determine a project, craft a budget, develop a fundraising strategy and raise the needed funds for all materials during a forty-five day fundraising campaign. Throughout the semester, students will be required to participate in three in-person workshops hosted by IHCDA, where they will learn about place-based community development, project planning, fundraising strategies and stakeholder engagement. Each workshop will prepare students to brainstorm and reach their project goal as well as provide networking and leadership opportunities. In the final workshop, students will present their work and success to their peers and Indiana’s community development leaders.
Mayor youth councils, foundation youth councils, and other organized student groups looking to participate in the My Community, My Vision program should apply to IHCDA. The full application can be found on IHCDA’s website. Applications must be submitted by 5:00pm ET on Nov. 3, 2023 with selected teams to be announced Nov. 17, 2023. The selected teams will officially kick off with a workshop event on Jan. 13, 2024.
