uVoice
Applications for the 2023/2024 uVoice: Youth Philanthropy Board are closed. If you are a high school student and interested in being placed on the wait-list for the program, you can click here to download the Member App 2023-2024 and submit to Alicia Vermeer.
Founded in 2013 with support from the Mid-Iowa Health Foundation (MIHF), uVoice: Youth Philanthropy Board is a group of up to 15 Polk County high school students who join together to identify public health issues facing youth in our community and to combat those issues through grant making and service learning. Every year, uVoice members develop a grant application and review applications before allocating dollars to the organizations most suitable to confront the identified problem. In the process, uVoice members build new friendships, cultivate leadership skills, develop a passion for philanthropy, and network with community leaders.
Want to learn more about uVoice? Our students write a monthly newsletter to update their supporters and community about their grant making project. Click here to sign up for their newsletter list.
uVoice summarized their findings in white papers, which can be found in the links below. For more information about uVoice, contact Alicia at alicia@cyconcepts.org or check out its Facebook page
2022 White Paper
Health Disparities Impacting Immigrant and Refugee Youth and Families in Central Iowa
2021 White Paper
The Intersection of Racial Injustice and Youth Health in Central Iowa
2017 White Paper
Teen Substance Use & Abuse in Des Moines
2018 White Paper
Mental & Sexual Health Education for Youth in Central Iowa
2019 White Paper
Human Trafficking Awareness for Youth in Central Iowa
2020 White Paper
Vaping & Substance Abuse Awareness for Youth in Central Iowa
I think uVoice has helped me learn so much about community service and giving back to the people around you. It is an amazing, one-of-a-kind experience and it’s honestly such a unique program that you wouldn’t be able to get anywhere else. You meet new people from other high schools, but you also get to meet leaders from various community organizations and this is great for developing connections that you may need in the future. Everything that I learned in uVoice is remarkable and I plan to use it in college and my future career.
- uVoice Student -