Healthy Summer Youth Jobs Grant Program

The Healthy Summer Youth Jobs Grant Program, administered by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, is now accepting applications for its FY2026 funding cycle. This program supports summer employment initiatives for young people that also contribute to public health goals across communities in Massachusetts. Since its inception over a decade ago, the program has awarded more than $3 million in funding, enabling over 1,000 youth job placements in 85 municipalities statewide. The initiative is rooted in the belief that meaningful youth employment can simultaneously advance individual career development and broader community health outcomes. The program is designed to support organizations that offer employment opportunities to youth while embedding public health learning and impact into those roles. Funded programs must demonstrate alignment with health promotion, disease prevention, or wellness efforts. Examples of past projects include mental health peer support groups, food access and nutrition campaigns, environmental justice initiatives, and violence prevention programs incorporating restorative justice. Programs must provide structured, supervised work experiences that also incorporate education on public health themes and support youth with career planning and skill-building. The FY2026 cycle will award grants of up to $12,500 per recipient, with a total program budget of $375,000. The grant funds are intended to support salaries or stipends for youth participants, training costs, and public health programming expenses incurred during summer months. Programs should demonstrate how youth will be engaged meaningfully and how the work supports specific public health objectives. Priority may be given to initiatives serving low-income communities or promoting health equity. The program is open to eligible Massachusetts-based organizations that can demonstrate capacity to provide youth employment and oversee relevant public health programming. Applications must be submitted online through the Attorney General’s Office website. Detailed guidance and submission instructions are provided on the program’s official web page. Applicants are encouraged to review the eligibility guidelines and expectations for programming content before submitting. The Attorney General’s Youth Advisory Council contributed to the development of the FY2026 grant guidelines, underscoring the importance of youth leadership in shaping programming priorities. Funding decisions will be based on alignment with public health goals, clarity of program design, feasibility of implementation, and the potential for youth development. Award recipients are expected to begin programming during the 2026 summer season. Additional program information, including application steps and examples of previously funded initiatives, can be found on the AGO website. Organizations interested in applying should act promptly to meet application deadlines and ensure compliance with eligibility and programmatic requirements.