The MicroGrants for Neighbours program is back once again and is looking for youth-led ideas on the island.

The program gives small amounts of money ranging from $50-$500 to local residents of Cortes so they can do things that benefit the community like put on workshops, host gatherings and build micro-libraries, according to organizers.

Micro Grants for Neighbours is a program that's been going on in Cortes under different names for about 10 years now. It was started through Cortes Literacy Now program and the Dakota Literacy program. The Cortes Community Foundation got involved for the last two years and launched it as MicroGrants for Neighbours, which ran in 2021.

MicroGrants for Neighbours is now run by the Cortes Foundation with support from the Cortes Community Health Association, the Neighbourhood Small Grants Island Network, and a jury of locals to ensure good quality projects are funded.

This year the foundation will be "prioritizing projects that are youth led and youth empowering," said Isabella McKnight, executive administrator for the Cortes Island Foundation. They classify youth as anybody under the age of 32 but are encouraging all to apply regardless of age.

"So say you wanna learn wood carving, but you don't necessarily know how to wood carve, this is a great opportunity to reach out to members in your community and essentially hire them to teach a skill that you might wanna learn," said McKnight.

The grants are open officially as of March 15. Go to the website for more information.

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