Participants selected for My Community, My Vision
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Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority have selected seven participants to take part in the 2023 My Community, My Vision program. The program connects Hoosier high school students with their peers, neighborhoods, towns, and cities.
The 2023 participating student groups include: the Batesville Mayor’s Youth Council, Frankton High School Students in Action, the Mayor’s Youth Council of Greensburg, Mishawaka Youth Advisory Council, the Monticello Next Generation Youth Advocates, the Ripley County Youth Outreach, and the Warren County Foundation Youth Council.
The participants will take part in four months of in-person workshops and self-guided curriculum intended to assist in planning and fundraising for a place-based community project. Students who successfully strategize, plan, and raise a fundraising goal of between $5,000 and $50,000 will receive a matching grant from the IHCDA.
“Maintaining strong and viable communities is important to the health of Indiana, and we need future leaders to begin thinking about their own visions for their cities and towns,” said Crouch. “My Community, My Vision invites these future decision makers to share their ideas and plans with local officials. By their involvement, student leaders will learn about the planning process and the collaborative efforts required to create and maintain vibrant communities.”
Originally launched in 2016, the program was reintroduced last year with a new vision for connecting young people to the places they live.
“Placemaking is an important element of building stable communities where Hoosiers of all ages want to live, work, and play for years to come,” said Jacob Sipe, executive director of the IHCDA. “The My Community, My Vision program gives young people a chance to invest in their hometowns and make their voices heard. These students are the future of Indiana’s workforce, economy, and local leadership, and we can’t wait to see what ideas they bring to life through this program.”
The program is a collaboration with the Indiana Philanthropy Alliance Youth Council program and the Association of Indiana Municipalities Mayoral Youth Council program. The program also draws on aspects of the IHCDA’s crowdfunding program, CreatINg Places.
The program will kick off in January. You can connect to more information on My Community, My Vision by clicking here.