Youth Micro-Grant Program

🌿 Youth Environmental Micro-Grant Program

Want to clean up local spaces, protect our waters, help regional wildlife, or launch a cool sustainability project around the lake? Don’t just watch from the sidelines—take action and lead!

The Amis du lac Youth Environmental Micro-Grant Program provides up to $1,500 in total project funding to empower youth-led environmental action across our community. Whether you want to restore shorelines, protect wildlife, or monitor water quality, we fund the supplies you need to bring your idea to life!

💡 What Is This Program All About?

We believe young residents and seasonal cottagers have the best ideas for protecting our watershed. This program is designed to be simple, fast, and high-impact:

• 100% Material Funding: We cover project supplies, tools, native plants, and building materials (up to $1,500 total available program funding).
• No Administrative Hassle: Quick, youth-friendly application focusing on real environmental impact rather than long essays.
• Earn High School Volunteer Hours: Because all grants fund project expenses (not personal wages), 100% of the time you spend planning, building, and running your project counts directly toward mandatory high school community service requirements (such as Ontario’s 40-hour OSSD requirement or Quebec secondary school metrics). The Amis du lac executive officially signs off on your volunteer tracking forms!
• Supercharge Your Resume: Managing a real, funded project looks incredible on CEGEP, university, and major scholarship applications (like Loran or TD Leadership).

🙋 Who Can Apply?

• Age Group: Any youth, student, or seasonal resident aged 13 to 19. You can apply solo or form a team with friends or siblings!
• Adult Sponsor (Trustee): If you are under 18, you just need an adult sponsor (a parent, local landowner, or teacher) to co-sign your application, receive the e-transfer funds, and act as a safety mentor during your project.

🗓️ The Game Plan & Timeline

Getting your project funded follows a simple three-phase plan leading into the summer season:

🌱 Need Inspiration? Project Ideas

Have your own unique green idea? We want to hear it! Need a spark to get started? Here are a few examples of projects you could propose:

1. Shoreline & Water Protection

• Native Buffer Planting: Plant deep-rooted native shrubs (like Sweetgale or Dogwood) to stabilize bank soils, stop shoreline erosion, and absorb runoff.
• Kayak Shoreline Patrol: Organize a paddling patrol across bays and marsh channels to clear stray wood/logs from boathouse repairs, lost gear, and floating debris.

2. Wildlife & Habitat Stewardship

• Nesting Box Routes: Construct and deploy specialized cedar nesting boxes for birds or bat houses to protect native species.
• Pollinator Corridors: Plant patches of native wild milkweed and wildflowers to support endangered Monarch butterflies and local wild bees.

3. Citizen Science & Action

• Wildlife Mapping: Track and map critical habitats for iconic lake species like Common Loons, painted turtles, or ducks.
• Invasive Species Sweep: Host a “Lake Bioblitz” using mobile apps like iNaturalist to spot and map early patches of invasive plants before they spread.

📄 Application Forms & Resources

Ready to get started or learn more? Click the links below to download the application form and overview documents:

• 📥 [Download Application Form (PDF / Word)]
• 📄 [Download Complete Program Overview & Guidelines (PDF)]
• 📋 [View Evaluation Scorecard for Judges] 

📧 Questions?

Got a question about whether your project idea qualifies? Want to talk through budget ideas?

We’re here to help! Send us an email at Amis@amisdulac.org.