The New Jersey Health Initiatives organization, the local arm of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, announced a new round of grant opportunities for communities to develop youth leadership as a way to bridge health disparities.

In a blog post by Bob Atkins, NJHI director, discussing five key principals for building more equitable and healthier communities, one of the principals is thinking of community youth as a resource.

The new grant program, “Next Generation Community Leaders,” will make up to 10 awards, each of up to $200,000, to provide communities the resources and tools to engage teams of 10-15 youth and build their skills and capacity to become future community leaders. The programs, which require participation from a multi-sector coalition, will last up to three years.

Atkins cited a program in Bridgeton, where the city selected 15 youth to play a critical role in the Federal Summer Food Service Program, which ensures healthy meals for children even when they’re out of school. The youth participants worked on enrollment, education and assistance.

“Our goal is that in 2017, our communities start thinking of youth as a resource and as our future civic leaders,” Atkins wrote.

Additional keys to building healthier communities include taking input from community members that will be affected by new programming; identifying a community’s assets in addition to deficits; building the capacity of entire communities to trust each other; and communicating grantee successes and challenges before the end of a project.

More information on the application process and grant requirements are available on the NJHI web site. The deadline is Jan. 12.