Students at Hastings Middle School are gaining hands-on experience in an important real-world skill: writing grants.
Through this process, students are learning how to identify needs, communicate their ideas clearly, and seek funding for purchases that support their education and extracurricular activities.
Recently, eighth-grader Lucas Evers successfully secured a $290 grant to purchase two 12-pound, heavy-duty foam football blocking dummies for the school’s football program. The new equipment will replace older, worn-out gear and help improve the quality and safety of practice sessions.
Before Lucas’s success, former Hastings Middle School students Austin Friddle and Myles Drake, now attending high school, also completed a successful grant application. They received $500 to purchase two large mops and two mat cleaner sprayers to properly clean and sanitize the school’s wrestling mats, ensuring a safer environment for athletes. Those equipment recently arrived and is now being put to use.
These mini-grants are made possible through the Barry County Youth Advisory Council, a unique program that provides funding from youth, for youth. Each year, the Barry Community Foundation Youth Advisory Council (YAC) awards thousands of dollars to local non-profit organizations that benefit young people throughout the community.
To apply, a youth representative from an organization must complete a detailed application describing the organization, its membership, how the grant money will be used, and how the funds will be managed responsibly. The process encourages students to think critically about budgeting, accountability, and long-term impact.
Lucas decided to apply after noticing the condition of the current football equipment.
“The tackling dummies we have right now, they’re ripping and all of the foam on the inside is starting to fall out. They’re getting old and soon becoming no usable I figured we could use two more,” he said.
He learned about the grant opportunity through his teacher, Mr. Renner.
“Mr. Renner told me about it,” Lucas explained. “I finished my projects a little early in his class and he told me about it. He told me to spend about a week and think about what I wanted to do. I talked to my coach and asked if we needed any football pads and he said yes we do.”
After planning and completing the application, Lucas submitted the grant late last year. His success highlights how student initiative, combined with community support, can lead to meaningful improvements in school programs.