Molinaro Announces More Than $328K
in Learn, Play, Create Grant Awards
Second group of 2022 grants to enhance lives of children
and families adversely affected by COVID-19 pandemic
Poughkeepsie, NY … Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro today announced the second group of 2022 funding awards, totaling $328,740, as part of the County’s Learn, Play, Create: Supporting Our Kids grant program, which will fund 20 projects for local non-profit organizations that directly benefit children and families.
In 2022, $1 million in Learn, Play, Create (LPC) grants are available, and there will be two application rounds this year. In this first round, grants of up to $20,000 were made available to non-profit organizations that directly serve youth in the areas of expanded learning, arts enrichment, and sports engagement that were deprived of fundraising or participation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Application instructions and guidance for 2022’s second round of LPC funding will be available in July on the Department of Planning and Development’s webpage.
County Executive Molinaro said, “Over the past year, we’ve seen the true impact that Dutchess County’s Learn, Play, Create grant program has made in the lives of thousands of local children, funding projects that will give them back some of what they’ve lost during the pandemic. We proudly support our kids and the organizations that foster their development, and we’ll continue to bring about real change in the lives of our next generation.”
Learn, Play, Create: Supporting Our Kids awards ($328,740 Total)
Anderson Center for Autism (Hyde Park), $10,326
Chillin’ P.L.A.C.E. (Playspace to Learn about Autism Spectrum Disorders & Create Empathy) – Purchase a mobile, creative play space for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and neurotypical children/youth. The organization will travel to various communities to teach empathy and support for ASD individuals with learning embedded in inclusive, creative play for children and families.
Beacon Junior Baseball (Beacon), $20,000
Rec Uniforms/Equipment and Concession Stand(s) Upgrade – Uniforms, baseball equipment and concession stand(s) upgrades.
Boy Scout Troop 275 (Town of Poughkeepsie), $20,000
Trailer and Equipment Replacement and Outdoor Advancement – Replace a 30-year-old trailer as well as cooking and camping equipment, and offset costs for outdoor programming, such as camping expenses.
Boy Scout Troop 3040 (East Fishkill), $20,000
New Camping Equipment Sheds for Local Scout Units – Purchase building materials and tools to construct new equipment sheds to house the scouts’ camping gear.
Boy Scout Troop 3034 (Towns of Dover and Pawling), $18,000
Troop Trailer and Camping Supplies – Purchase a trailer to hold all equipment to bring to campouts, trailer decals, cooking supplies, cook kits, stoves, and Dutch ovens, folding tables, camping chairs, and pop-up tents to use when cooking in the elements and potable water jugs.
Community Matters 2, Inc. (City of Poughkeepsie), $20,000
Extraordinary Summer Youth Program – Funding will be used to purchase equipment and supplies for the summer program (Chromebooks, iPads, coding robot, STEM educational activities/toys, workbooks, pencils, crayons, markers, sports equipment, transportation, and shirts).
Dutchess Debs 12U White (Village of Red Hook), $20,000
12U Girls Travel Softball Equipment – Equipment, uniforms to supplement or lower dues for families impacted by COVID-19 and skills clinics for player development.
Esperanza Dutchess County Hispanic Organization (City of Poughkeepsie), $14,000
Esperanza Unity and Hope – Recreation, enrichment activities, and mentoring costs for summer and school year tutorial programs, program supplies, back-to-school supplies, sports equipment, storage shed, computer, Chromebooks, transportation and costs of admission for field trips, T-shirts, folding tables and chairs, and tents.
Friends of Peach Hill, LTD. (Town of Poughkeepsie), $20,000
Outreach at the Peach: Creating an Outdoor Learning Classroom – Create an outdoor classroom with log benches and a shed with whiteboards to teach concepts and store hands-on equipment; a small pavilion will provide shelter for groups to work on outdoor lessons throughout the year.
Hyde Park Community Garden at St. James Episcopal Church (Hyde Park), $2,500
Young Master Gardeners Program at the Hyde Park Community Garden – Purchase equipment and supplies needed for the Young Master Gardeners program, which will be launched in collaboration with Staatsburg Library and North Park Elementary School.
Hyde Park Visual Environment Committee (Hyde Park), $20,000
Sensory Pollinator Demonstration Garden for Children and Children with Special Needs – Install a sensory pollinator demonstration garden at Staatsburg Library that will include activities to nurture the sensory needs of children with special needs.
Mental Health America of Dutchess County, Inc. (City of Poughkeepsie), $9,345
Horse Play – Provide instructions/lessons for 15 participants in Horse Play, a program for youth affected by mental illness in which participants are taught how to care for and ride horses.
Mount Gulian Society (Fishkill), $20,000
Storage Shed for Youth History Programs – Purchase and install a 14’x20′ wooden, Amish-style dormer shed where school and youth programming will occur; the shed will house educational equipment and supplies.
Putnam Hockey Association, Inc. (Village of Pawling), $20,000
On-Ice Hockey Training – Training, skills clinics, off-ice training, including Zoom lessons and newer training equipment for youth players at the organization’s location in the Village of Pawling.
Smith Johnson Scout Reservation (Village of Pawling), $20,000
Safety Improvements and Upgrades to the Property for Local Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, & Girl Scouts’ Benefit – Repairs to the “Pawling Scout Cabin,” including new vent fans for the fireplace, new windows, door, and window repair or door replacement, railroad tie steps, outdoor tables, and benches.
Taconic Little League (Stanford), $20,000
Baseball & Softball for Children and Teens – Purchase shared sports equipment, scoreboard, and field maintenance equipment.
The Revolving Door, Inc. (City of Poughkeepsie), $20,000
Youth Mentorship & Apprenticeship – Support for mentorship and apprenticeship program for youth in the City of Poughkeepsie, including general program material, such as onboarding packages, workbooks, journals, uniforms, venue rental fees, and food.
Ti-Yogi Bowmen Archery (Hyde Park), $20,000
Youth Archery Club – Traditional and compound youth bows and arrows and 3D range targets.
Venture Crew #3609, Hudson Valley Council BSA Band (East Fishkill), $12,000
Musical Instruments and Music for Our Youth – Musical instruments, music, folders, insurance, and BSA registration fees.
YMCA of Kingston and Ulster County (various municipalities), $2,569
Bike & Water Safety – Bike safety education and dryland safety around water clinics, as well as bike repairs for youth in Dutchess County.
The Learn, Play, Create grant program was announced in June 2021 as part of “Dutchess Invests,” the County Executive’s initiative to direct $57 million in one-time funding allocated to Dutchess County through the Federal Government’s American Rescue Plan (ARP) to areas the community has recognized as priorities. Earlier this month, County Executive Molinaro announced more than $362,000 in LPC awards. Last year, the LPC grant program provided $3 million in one-time grants to 147 local non-profit youth organizations in the categories of libraries, expanded learning, art enrichment, and sports activities.
In July 2022, the application process for the second round of LPC grants will begin, with awards being announced in autumn; application instructions and guidance will be available on the Department of Planning and Development’s website.
Organizations which received Learn, Play, Create funding in 2021, as well as school districts, private and religious schools, including school-funded clubs and/or programs, and municipal-funded/sponsored departments or clubs are not eligible to apply.
