Youth Neighborhood Association Partnership Program (YNAP) Grant Review Board Meeting – December 1, 2025

The YNAP Grant Review Board convened on December 1, 2025, at approximately 3:38 PM under Deputy City Attorney Michelle DiSilvestro Alanis. The meeting included elections for chair and vice chair, review of bylaws and scoring criteria, and presentations from multiple youth groups seeking grant funding. The board also scheduled rescheduling for one missing group.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of final minutes from December 2, 5, 9, and 12, 2024 meetings (motion by Member Flank, second by Member Castro; all ayes, passed).

Discussion Items

• Bylaws & Responsibilities (Item 6): Tara Manor (lead staff) reviewed YNAP bylaws: board consists of 15 members plus 2 alternates; quorum is 8; all members have voting rights. She noted YNAP began in 2000–2001, has funded 735 groups totaling $729,344, with a community match of $7,293,400.
• Scoring Criteria (Item 7): Manor covered the scoring process: projects must be youth-led, within city limits, and meet volunteer/donation match requirements. Suggested questions were provided in binders.
• Election of Chair & Vice Chair (Item 8): Youth-only positions. Candidates for chair: Member Castro and Member Diaz. For vice chair: Member Jones, Member Hernandez, Member Camarillo. Each gave a brief speech.
  • Chair vote: 6 for Castro, 3 for Diaz → Member Castro elected Chair.
  • Vice chair vote: 2 for Jones, 1 for Hernandez, 4 for Camarillo → Member Camarillo elected Vice Chair.
• Scheduling of Presentations (Item 9): Presentations scheduled for December 1, 4, 8, 11, and (contingency/deliberation) December 15, 2025. Motion by Manor to approve; all in favor, passed.
• Group Presentations (Item 10): Nine groups presented:
  • Heroes and Heart (returning applicant, 6th year): Thank-you bags for underappreciated workers. Speaker expressed that the project thanks “people that you see every day” but often overlooked. Request $2,000.
  • Art and Reading: A Book Tasting (returning applicant): Reading assessments for 3rd graders at Ollie Detweiler Elementary using iPads, plus art supplies. Cited 35% of 4th graders and 64% of 8th graders reading below grade level. Request $2,000.
  • STEMpreneurs: Robotics, Innovation, and Financial Literacy (returning applicant, 3rd year): STEM workshops with VR headsets, Lego kits, and solar bots at Hewitson and Detweiler Elementary. Cited DOD projection that 80% of jobs will require STEM skills. Request $2,000.
  • Advanced Technologies Academy Black Student Union – Colors of Courage (returning applicant, 3rd year): Mental health and self-expression event for ATEC students through painting, poetry, and vision boards. Expect 200–300 attendees. Request $2,000.
  • Courage for Change (returning applicant, 2nd year): Hygiene/feminine kits for first-generation immigrants, unhoused, and homeless women. Distributed 220+ kits last year; Nevada Homeless Alliance reports 16,000+ unhoused in Southern Nevada annually, 12% unaccompanied minors. Request $2,000.
  • CYTN Community Youth Teen Network – Never Give Up On Your Dreams (first-time applicant): Media arts program teaching camera, podcast, and production skills at West Las Vegas Arts Center. Request $2,000.
  • ATEC Mental Health Awareness Club – Empowerment Health Fair (returning applicant): Fair with workshops, raffle, and free Raising Cane’s meals on April 8, 2026. $1,750 of $2,000 budget for food. Request $2,000.
  • Girl Scouts Troop 760 – Snuffle Love (first-time applicant): Making no‑noise snuffle balls for SPCA animals to increase adoptability. Speakers claim tested correlation: animals given snuffle balls adopted faster. Request $2,000.
  • Project Real Book Drive & Holiday Care Kit for Youth (returning applicant): Book and hygiene kit drive for Westcare families and foster youth. Produced 3,000 copies of a resource guide previously. Request $2,000.
  • National Honor Society CSN West – Hygiene Kits for Project 150 (returning applicant): Hygiene kits for high school students (focus on full‑size items). Project 150 serves ~7,500 homeless high schoolers in Clark County; 600 students visit monthly. Request $2,000.
  • Camera Kids Through the Eyes of Youth (first-time applicant): Photography project documenting Black history with support from Shots by Dre Studios. Request $2,000.
  • The Beauty and Bold (first-time applicant): Art gallery celebrating Black hair care and history. 65+ volunteer hours pledged. Request $2,000.
  • Soul Food Kits – Hole in the Wall (first-time applicant): Educational exhibit on soul food history using displays, interviews, and trivia. Request $2,000.
  • Project 91 did not attend; rescheduled for December 8 or 11, 2025 (motion by Chair Castro, seconded; all ayes, passed).

Key Outcomes

• Elected Chair: Member Castro.
• Elected Vice Chair: Member Camarillo.
• Rescheduled Presentation: Project 91 approved to present on December 8 or 11, 2025.
• Next Steps: The board will vote on recommended funding awards at a later meeting; recommendations will be presented to the Las Vegas City Council on February 4, 2026. Groups will be notified within three weeks.