Youth groups pitch community projects to Las Vegas YNAB grant board; board to forward recommendations to City Council

Ayanna Castro, chair of the Youth Neighborhood Association Partnership (YNAB) Grant Review Board, presided over a Dec. 8 session in which more than two dozen student teams presented short pitches for small city grants to support youth projects across Las Vegas. The board did not vote on awards that night; it will consider and vote on funding recommendations before presenting them to Las Vegas City Council on Feb. 4, 2026.

The presentations covered a wide range of community projects that board members said they expect to forward as funding recommendations. Several groups requested the program’s common $2,000 award amount for projects such as Play and mental‑health programming, a student drama program and comfort kits for pediatric hospital patients. Tara Manor, YNAB staff, told presenters the board would notify groups about recommendations within three weeks.

In several presentations the applicants outlined concrete budgets, timelines and volunteer commitments. Jump Squad’s Pack of Hope asked for $2,000 to assemble and distribute hundreds of hygiene and comfort kits during monthly outreach walks in downtown Las Vegas; director Joshua Pio summarized the project’s aim: “Our project has two main goals. First, we want to meet practical needs by providing well stocked hygiene and comfort kits during monthly outreach walks in the neighborhood around 721 West McWilliams Avenue.” Jump Squad also reported $2,000+ in matching donations from local businesses and pledged 104 volunteer hours to meet YNAB’s in‑kind match requirements.

Other proposals included student‑run initiatives in schools: Kaye Carl Elementary’s drama club asked for materials to sustain a student‑led theater program; Eva Wolf Elementary’s student council requested roughly $2,000 to assemble about 142 “Sunshine” kits (estimating about $14 per kit) to donate to pediatric patients at Summerlin Hospital Medical Center; and Tar Academy students requested $2,000 to restore a kindergarten garden and create a living classroom. Several animal‑welfare and shelter‑support proposals asked for funding for adoption campaigns and supplies; a presentation from Ikipo Academy said the group is seeking $868.08 to build insulated outdoor shelters and run a public‑education campaign in partnership with local veterinary and TNR programs.

Presenters sometimes gave numerical claims that board members noted would need follow‑up. For example, Ikipo Academy students described a large stray‑cat population in the Las Vegas area in support of their proposal; the board encouraged the presenters to refine placement plans and to confirm permitting requirements with the city. Board members repeatedly reminded out‑of‑city applicants that any funded project must be completed within Las Vegas city limits.

The board handled one procedural motion during the meeting: Chair Castro moved to reschedule the native born youth group’s presentation to Dec. 11 or Dec. 15 because the group had a family emergency. The motion was seconded and carried by voice vote; members answered “aye” when asked for favor, and the chair announced the motion carried.

Next steps: the board will deliberate and vote on recommended awards at a later meeting and forward those recommendations to the Las Vegas City Council on Feb. 4, 2026. YNAB staff will notify applicant groups of the board’s recommendations within approximately three weeks of the Dec. 8 session.