Charlotte Invests to Expand Opportunities for Teens

Published on October 05, 2026

What if the next great opportunity for a Charlotte teen is already here, and it just needs room to grow? 

Maybe it’s a community center that could stay open later on Friday nights. A mentoring program that could reach 30 more teens. An arts organization with space, instructors and a great idea but no way to get teens there. Or an organization that could open its doors on teacher workdays, giving teens a place to hang out, grab lunch and try something new, like a cooking class or a career workshop. 

Across Charlotte, organizations are already creating places and experiences where teens can connect and explore their interests. The City of Charlotte’s Office of Youth Opportunities wants to help them do more. 

That’s the idea behind the new OYO Partnerships Grant, which invests in expanding opportunities for Charlotte teens outside of the traditional school day. Selected organizations will receive $50,000 each to expand existing programs, reach more teens or remove barriers that make it harder for young people to participate. 

OYO isn’t looking for organizations to reinvent the wheel or build an entirely new program from the ground up. Instead, the grant is designed to tap into the programs and spaces that already exist in Charlotte communities and provide the resources to expand them. 

The grant can support everything from recreation, mentoring and arts programming to career exploration, leadership development, college exposure, civic engagement, wellness and skills development. Funding can also support many of the practical things that make those experiences possible: staff, instructors, transportation, meals, equipment, space, supplies and participation costs. 

Organizations must serve youth within the city of Charlotte and have an existing youth-serving program or space, as well as a demonstrated capacity to deliver the proposed programming. Grant-funded activities may begin after agreements are executed and must be completed by July 31, 2027. 

So, if your organization already has something that’s working for Charlotte teens, this is your chance to think about what could come next. 

Could you stay open later? Add another day? Reach another neighborhood? Bring in someone who could teach teens something they’ve been asking to learn? Get rid of a transportation or cost barrier that keeps some young people on the sidelines? 

What could you do with $50,000 that you can’t do today?

Applications for the OYO Partnerships Grant open Monday, Oct. 5, and will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2. Learn more and apply.