$20,000 in Grants Awarded to 14 Youth Teams at 2026 Social Capital Inc. Pitch Event

Social Capital Inc. (SCI) hosted its 2026 Pitch Event at Roxbury Community College, showcasing the innovative ideas of local high school students from 10 communities across Greater Boston. At the event, 14 youth teams presented original social impact projects to a live panel of judges, competing for up to $2,000 each in grant funding from a total pool of $20,000.

“It was an amazing opportunity to show what I've learned and worked on for the community,” said Anderson Alfaro, a youth team member of Building Over Blocks in Chelsea. Another youth participant, Elamin Elamin with Fortune Avenue in Boston, shared, “I loved the opportunity to meet so many people from such different backgrounds. Additionally, my team and I had a great opportunity to connect with one another on a level we otherwise couldn't have.”

SCI welcomed nearly 200 people to the Pitch Event in Roxbury, with youth participants, program volunteers, family, supporters, and invited guests in attendance. In total, 99 young people aged 13-19 years old were involved in the 2026 SCI Youth Grant Pitch Contest. Out of the 14 participating teams, 3 were awarded the maximum grant award of $2,000: EVkids Youth Leaders (Boston), Fortune Avenue (Boston), MA Youth Climate Coalition (Malden/Greater Boston). Each youth team will have until December 31, 2026 to complete their respective projects and will submit a project impact report by the end of January 2027.

Below is the full list of participating teams in the 2026 SCI Youth Grant Pitch Contest with their award amounts:

Arts & Culture Track

● Community Health Cohort from La Colaborativa in Chelsea. Awarded $1,900.

● ECO (Environmental Chelsea Organizers) from GreenRoots in Chelsea. Awarded $1,680.

● Green Jobs from La Colaborativa in Chelsea. Awarded $1,420.

● Connor's Kindness Project from Connor’s Kindness Project in Woburn and Winchester. Awarded $1,000.

Bridge-building Track

● EVkids Youth Leaders from EVkids in Boston. Awarded $2,000.

● Massachusetts Youth Climate Coalition from Massachusetts Youth Climate Coalition in Greater Boston. Awarded $2,000.

● Soley from Immigrant Family Service Institute in Mattapan. Awarded $1,500.

● Camp Warm Welcome, a youth-led initiative in Boston. Awarded $750.

● Con Manos Unidas We Change from De Nosotros Foundation and Eastie Coalition in East Boston. Awarded $750.

Mental Health Track

● Fortune Avenue from Fortune Avenue in Boston. Awarded $2,000.

● Lynn Lady Leaders from Boys & Girls Club of Lynn. Awarded $1,900.

● Building Over Blocks: House of Health from La Colaborativa in Chelsea. Awarded $1,100.

● GrowWithGuidance from GrowWithGuidance INC. in Natick. Awarded $1,100.

● BGCD Keystone from Boys and Girls Clubs of Dorchester. Awarded $900.

SCI’s Youth Grant Pitch Contest provides youth with access to adult-mentoring relationships, financial support, and network-building resources, while intentionally cultivating connections across socioeconomic barriers in Greater Boston. Since launching in 2021, SCI’s Youth Grant Pitch Contest has supported 53 youth-led projects through $69,000 in grants that have benefited over 6,000 community members across 14 Greater Boston communities. The 2026 Pitch Event was supported by 1981andCo Photography, the Ironside Group at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, Roxbury Community College, the YMCA of Greater Boston, and TITIN (Extra Virgin Olive Oil). For more information visit socialcapitalinc.org/ygpc.

The 2026 SCI Youth Grant Pitch Contest is made possible by the generous support of Boston Bridges Initiative, Winning Home, Inc., State Street Foundation, The Brooks & Joan Fortune Family Foundation, M&T Bank, The Boston Foundation, Kick It For A Cause, Boston Children’s Hospital, and a Massachusetts state budget line item (thanks to the advocacy of State Senator Cindy Friedman). Major support for SCI’s youth programs is provided by Cummings Properties.