Press Release: City of Annapolis Awards $50K in Children and Families Success Grants

PRESS RELEASE

City of Annapolis

Public Information Office

160 Duke of Gloucester Street

Annapolis, Maryland 21401

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE :
Media Contact: Mitchelle Stephenson, 410-972-7724 or [email protected]

City of Annapolis Awards $50K in Children and Families Success Grants

Annapolis, MD (October 6, 2025) - The City of Annapolis Office of Community Services (OCS) is proud to announce the recipients of the FY 2026 Children and Families Success Grant, a $50,000 program funded by the City Council and sponsored by Alderman Dajuan Gay. The grants, in amounts of $10,000, $5,000, or $2,500, support community-led projects that expand after-school and summer opportunities for youth, especially in low-income neighborhoods and for children from working families.

Selection Eligibility:

• Organizations must have 501(c)(3) status and/or be businesses using awarded funds to provide scholarships or free programming.

• Applications from youth-led programs, supported logistically and financially by applying organizations, are encouraged.

• Grantees will submit a mid-program and final report and participate in three meetings with OCS staff.

Winning Grantees:

• Boys and Girls Club of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County received a grant for the "Club on the Go" at Robinwood Community Center

• Charting Careers, Inc. received funding support for a program that expands after-school child development and low-income neighborhood support.

• Language Immersion Learning, LLC received a grant for bilingual storytime in Anne Arundel County Public Schools

• Seeds 4 Success, Inc. received funding for the AIR program, which supports Agency, Inclusivity and Relevancy

• STAIR (Start The Adventure In Reading) received a grant for literacy development programs in Annapolis.

• Monarch Academy received funding to maintain the affordability of their annual basketball camp for children in our Annapolis community.

• Imagine an ATH received a grant for "The Whole Game: Academics, Athletics, and Wellness On and Off the Field." In this multifaceted literacy program players are supported to learn and see that their literacy knowledge is applicable in all spaces in which they participate.

• Annapolis AG Inc. received funding for "Kiddos Life Skills & Events Program" to host five major seasonal events that include enrichment activities, food, and learning opportunities in addition to offering several educational field trips to expose children to new experiences beyond their neighborhoods.

• Blessed in Tech received a grant to offer their "Tech Enrichment and Empowerment Program."

• For a Healthy Mind received funding for their program that brings vibrant, hands-on programming to children and families in our community, including nutrition outreach and education, engaging cooking classes, food access initiatives, and joyful learning experiences.

" I am thrilled to be able to continue to contribute to the well-being of children and families in the City of Annapolis," said Ald. Dajuan Gay (Ward 6). "Empowering the next generation through education and programming is critical to their and our success as a community."

These projects will provide safe, enriching programs that help children develop socially, emotionally, and academically while closing opportunity gaps and supporting families throughout the school year and summer months.

# # #