Two Harbors Students Help Award $8,395 in Youth Philanthropy Grants

Middle and high school students from Two Harbors joined peers from across northeastern Minnesota to award $8,395 in community grants through the Northland Foundation's Youth In Philanthropy program, the foundation announced March 11.

The winter 2026 grant round distributed 11 awards supporting school- and community-focused projects across northeastern Minnesota and the border community of Superior, Wisconsin. Each grant can reach up to $1,000, and the projects must be conceived, applied for, and carried out by children and youth working alongside an adult advisor.

This year's Youth In Philanthropy board draws students from Aitkin, Barnum, Cherry, Cloquet, Duluth, Hermantown, Superior, and Two Harbors, guided by five volunteer adult mentors. The board operates as a genuine grantmaking body: student members review applications and make real funding decisions rather than serving in an advisory role.

Jan Amys, a Senior Program Officer at the Northland Foundation who has helped implement the Youth In Philanthropy program for more than 17 years, described what the work requires of its young participants. "The youth and adult representatives put in hours of effort to prepare for and participate at each board meeting," Amys said. "It's so rewarding to witness how the students grow in knowledge and confidence as they learn about philanthropy, volunteerism, and the region beyond their own communities."

The winter round is one of three the program runs each year, with grant cycles in October, January, and April. The Northland Foundation's fall funding round awarded 11 grants totaling $9,105 to projects within the foundation's service area. The next application deadline for youth projects is April 1, 2026. Applications and program information are available through the Northland Foundation's website.