Palm Springs and Boys and Girls Club awarded Cannabis Youth Education Grant

Palm Springs, CA- The City of Palm Springs is pleased to announce the award of a $1 million Cannabis Youth Education Grant from the California Board of State and Community Corrections to focus on the individual and systemic impacts of cannabis legalization.

The City partnered with the Boys and Girls Club of Palm Springs to apply for the grant funds, which will be used to develop resources to address adolescent cannabis offenses; decrease cannabis use among youth ages 12-18 and increase youth and adult connections to build resiliency and provide dedicated public safety personnel to assist with cannabis enforcement.

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“Our goal is to educate students on the impact cannabis has on development and to prevent cannabis misuse…”

Margaret Keung, Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Club of Palm Springs

The City will serve as lead public agency working with the Boys and Girls Club of Palm Springs. The grant application was scored second statewide, regardless of size of jurisdiction – ahead of much larger cities. The Boys and Girls Club of Palm Springs serves over 1,700 boys and girls annually.

Cannabis Education Center/SMART Move 4 Healthy Lifestyle Project

The grant funds allow for the Boys and Girls Club to serve as the location for the Cannabis Education Center/SMART Move 4 Healthy Lifestyle Project, which will focus on middle school and high school students to ensure the safe, healthy development of at-risk youth. In addition, the project calls for the implementation of a citywide youth substance use and intervention initiative with the Boys and Girls Club serving as a venue for summits and classes related to youth substance abuse education and prevention.

“It’s a privilege to work with the City on such an important project. Over the course of the next three years, we will be turning our Health and Wellness Center into a cannabis learning facility,” said Margaret Keung, Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Club of Palm Springs. “Our goal is to educate students on the impact cannabis has on development and to prevent cannabis misuse among teens and preteens in a City that has seen a significant growth in cannabis businesses.”

“The City of Palm Springs is delighted that our grant application for this needed project scored so high, second in California,” said Mayor Christy Holstege. “There is no doubt that $1 million dollars will go a long way when it comes to educating at-risk and opportunity youth about the systemic impacts of legalized cannabis – and we can think of no better partner than the Boys and Girls Club of Palm Springs to help implement this important initiative.”

Boys and Girls Club of Palm Springs

The mission of the Boys & Girls Club of Palm Springs (BGCPS) is to enable and inspire all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.