Each year, South Windsor provides an opportunity for students to apply and obtain a $200 Mini-Grant. Offered by South Windsor Youth and Family Services, along with South Windsor Alliance For Families, and funded with state grant funds, the Make a Change Mini-Grant (MAC) is intended to promote kindness within the community and give the community youth a voice.
Four students were awarded the 2024 Make A Change grant on Monday, April 15th. Two winners were high school students, junior Aarush Kalia and junior Hailey Deptula. In order to receive The Make a Change Mini Grant, the recipient must have a plan to contribute to positive mental health and/or emotional wellness, support inclusion, and respect and/or encourage a positive school community.
Additional winners in the South Windsor community were Lilah Gartman, a student at Timothy Edwards Middle School, and Ms. Mule’s 3rd grade classroom, at Orchard Hill Elementary School.
One of the grant winners from SWHS, Kalia, helped collect a wide range of books and create libraries that were placed in juvenile detention centers. His project was aimed to enrich the lives of the incarcerated youth.
Kalia and a group of students from other states worked together, and have already distributed many books and libraries to CT centers. However, the project doesn’t stop there. They are looking to expand the project to other areas around the U.S. This project has demonstrated kindness, and the ability to help others, and given not just Kalia, but incarcerated youth in CT, a voice.
“I needed funding for the project, and I was using money from my job, and the grant was a great idea to get support for my community,” Kalia told The Prowl.
Kalia was first inspired by the project while doing his internship at Yale University. He has participated in the internship since his freshman year. While there, he saw a group of kids giving books to people in prisons. Kalia was inspired to do the same in juvenile detention centers using children’s books he had at his house.
Now that the project is picking up pace and attraction, Kalia hopes to grow his team and turn the project into a nonprofit organization, where he would be able to generate funding. In doing this, Kalia will be less focused on fundraising and more dedicated to his cause.
In addition, junior, Hailey Deptula, worked alongside the SWHS girls’ lacrosse team to tackle the stigma of student-athlete mental health. Deptula’s project was bringing “Morgan’s Message” to South Windsor High School.
Morgan Roger played lacrosse for Duke University in Durham before suffering an injury to her knee which would cost Roger her sophomore and junior year seasons. During this time, Roger fell into a debilitating depression and ultimately took her own life.
Roger’s family created a nonprofit organization that spreads awareness of student-athlete mental health issues worldwide. Deptula and the South Windsor girls’ lacrosse team dedicated their game on May 4th to Morgan’s Message where youth programs, the Bantams, and the Juniors were there to support the Lady Bobcats.
“The project overall has been a success; we raised around 600 dollars for the fundraiser, and got over 100 people in attendance to the game,” Deptula commented.
When awarded with the grant, Deptula used the funds to create t-shirts for the South Windsor lacrosse players, which were worn to school as team spirit. Throughout the week, Deptula raised awareness of the game, encouraging the student body to attend through the use of Bobcat Nation News and social media platforms.
Deptula hoped to expand the reach of Morgan’s Message throughout the high school.
“I am hoping to collaborate with each sports team to do a Morgan’s Message for one of their games, and when I graduate, I hope someone will continue the project,” Deptula told The Prowl.
At a young age, Deptula and Kalia intend to make a lasting impact on their community, and are using the Make a Change Mini-Grants to further the reach of their messages.
