PIMA COUNTY, June 17, 2022 -- The Pima County Health Department has awarded eight mini-grants through a new initiative called New Pathways to Health and Well-being for Youth. Each mini-grant proposal is funded for $9,999.

Each mini-grant will focus on improving outcomes for historically marginalized young people. The awardees will use youth-driven solutions to promote young people’s health, mental health and aspirations as Pima County moves toward a post-pandemic recovery from COVID-19.

“Having youth be part of solutions in a really meaningful way is important for our community,” said Eddie Diaz, who leads the Health Department’s Health Disparities program. “Young people aren’t always included in developing solutions but engaging them in this way acknowledges their stakes in the future and empowers them.”

The eight awardees are:

-Avenidas, Inc.
-Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Southern Arizona
-Groundworks Tucson
-Liberty Partnership Community Council
-Muslim Community Alliance
-PPEP, Inc. Amado Youth Center Programs
-Southern Arizona Adaptive Sports
-Tucson Youth and Peace Alliance

Each awardee will start their projects in early July 2022 and wrap up by Sept. 30, 2022.  

The funding for the mini-grants comes from federal grants from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.