Dutchess County Grants Create Opportunities for Local Youth

Participants at the Staatsburg library enjoy a craft night. This is one of many community-building opportunities the library plans to expand with the grant. Photo courtesy of Lorraine Rothman

This January, the Staatsburg Library will begin offering arts and leadership programming to middle and high school students, an expansion of its free offerings to the local community. The program was funded by a $7,000 grant from the 2026 Dutchess County Youth Development fund. 

This program, funded by the state of New York, will disburse $239,782 for youth development programs across the county, after its budget grew by more than $44,000 in 2025.

“We have a very robust teen group, and the inspiration was just their energy and creativity and excitement for the things that we already plan and do here,” said Lorraine Rothman, director of Staatsburg Library. “The idea is that additional funding would help us to do more.”

These grants support Dutchess County organizations that provide free programs for youth under 21 years old. Programs offered vary from educational seminars, childcare, emergency housing and workforce development. 

“These grants provide funds to many under-resourced organizations and municipalities that provide free programming to underserved, underrepresented youth in the county,” Assistant Commissioner for Youth Services Karmen Smallwood said. 

The Dutchess County Youth Board and Coordinating Council received 42 applications from organizations. However, only 26 of those organizations received one of the $5,000 to $18,500 grants. Rothman was surprised, but delighted that the Staatsburg Library was chosen as a recipient.

“It was thrilling to get word that we were awarded the grant,” she said. “I know that it is a highly competitive process, and so every time we sit down to write a grant, we do it in the hopes that we will get it, but never expect that we will. And being a small library, funding like this is key to us doing all the things that we can dream up.”

Through peer tutoring programming and new leadership opportunities, Rothman is excited to use the funding to get youth more involved in the planning process. 

“We really want to give teens an opportunity to have a voice in what kinds of programs and opportunities the library presents. The plan is to have an advisory group of those teens participating, who will help brainstorm programs and events that they think will help the community,” Rothman said. 

This is the third year that the Dutchess County Pride Center received funding for its intergenerational get-together program. They will receive $5,000 to help run a variety of events aimed at bringing together people of all ages and fostering a sense of understanding.

“We do things like pizza nights and game nights and just different ways for people to kind of gather together,” said Karen Marder, executive director and co-founder of the Dutchess County Pride Center. 

These gatherings typically attract between 25 and 30 participants of all ages. For Marder, this program is an important part of maintaining the mission of the center.

“Our organization was really designed to support the LGBTQ community, particularly young people. So [we are] finding ways to support families as they kind of go through their journey of discovery together,” Marder said.

Another organization, The Art Effect, received $14,000 for its workforce development program, Spark Studios. Spark Studios employs local 14 to 19-year-olds and trains them to use various digital media tools. These youth media producers learn how to film, edit and produce photo and video content. 

“We teach the high school students workforce skills, and while they're learning the workforce skills, they're getting paid to create photography and film projects,” said Adam Reid, Spark Studios media programs manager. 

Spark Studios runs several sessions throughout the year. Interested students have to apply to be one of the 15 to 19 employees each session. The program aims to give students access to specialized education and equipment to prepare them for future employment. 

“Along with creating a professional portfolio with their projects, we help them develop resumes so that once they leave this program… they can always get a job somewhere else,” Reid said.

In addition to instructing the youth media producers, Reid acts as a mentor and role model for them. 

“I try to get them to push their limits and think outside the box, but I also try to serve as a leadership role for them, so that way they just know how to move as they're growing and becoming adults. I try to treat them like real-world workers,” Reid said. “They still have expectations, and we just hold them accountable.”

The grant money continues to help fund the program and create more educational opportunities. 

“It helps replace any broken equipment, things like that. We have different things that we want to learn, and we're kind of just held back, or we're not able to do it based on the lack of equipment. [This grant] just opens those doors for access,” Reid said. 

As a former student of the program he now runs, Reid knows the importance of funding programs that support youth development like this. 

“The youth is our future,” Reid said. “So putting in the work with the youth, just trying to make sure that they have a solid foundation with the proper leadership and creative thinking, will really benefit our future.”