Girls Inc. of the Northern Sacramento Valley Awarded Elevate Youth California Grant to Expand Youth Leadership & Prevention Programs

We are proud to announce that Girls Inc. of the Northern Sacramento Valley (Girls Inc. NSV) has been awarded a $600,000, three-year grant through Elevate Youth California (EYC) – Standard Track Cohort 7. This funding will support expanded substance use prevention, mentorship, and youth leadership programming for girls ages 10–18 in Shasta and Tehama counties from January 2026 through December 2028.

The Elevate Youth California initiative is administered by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) in partnership with Sierra Health Foundation: Center for Health Program Management, and prioritizes youth-led, community-based solutions that strengthen protective factors and reduce risk behaviors.

Investing in Girls, Strengthening Communities

Over the three-year grant period, Girls Inc. NSV will serve approximately 1,000 girls, with a focus on youth from low-income families and those facing access barriers, including:

• Foster youth
• Youth with disabilities
• English learners
• Girls living in rural communities

Through the Elevate Girls Leadership & Prevention Project, participants will engage in evidence-based prevention education, mentoring relationships, peer-led leadership, and youth civic engagement—equipping them with the tools to make healthy decisions and positively influence their peers and communities.

“This investment affirms the importance of youth-led prevention and leadership—especially for girls in rural communities.”
— Heather Kelnhofer, CEO, Girls Inc. of the Northern Sacramento Valley

What This Grant Makes Possible

Funding from Elevate Youth California allows Girls Inc. NSV to expand and sustain programming that is:

• Culturally responsive
• Trauma-informed
• Research-based
• Youth-driven

Programs will be delivered through school-based workshops, afterschool clubs, and summer prevention camps, using Girls Inc.’s nationally recognized curricula such as Project BOLD, Mind+Body, and Healthy Relationships.

Girls build skills in:

• Refusal and decision-making
• Emotional regulation and self-advocacy
• Leadership and public speaking
• Healthy relationships and resilience

Elevating Youth Voice Through Civic Engagement

A cornerstone of this initiative is the expansion of our Youth Leadership Council, where girls receive hands-on training in:

• Advocacy and policy analysis
• Community organizing
• Peer education and mentorship

Youth leaders will identify local substance use prevention priorities and present recommendations to school boards, city councils, and community stakeholders, ensuring that young people—especially girls—have a seat at the table where decisions are made.

“Girls Inc. helped me find my voice. I learned that my experiences matter and that I can speak up—not just for myself, but for other girls too.”
— Girls Inc. NSV Program Participant