The Princeton Area Community Foundation is awarding $487,500 in 2025 Summer Initiative grants to 21 local nonprofits for camps and programs that help prevent learning loss and provide affordable childcare for working families.
These grants mark the third year in a row that the Community Foundation has helped fund these initiatives, which feature a combination of academic lessons, focused on reading and math, and fun activities, such as sports, swimming, arts and crafts and field trips. Many of the programs offer meals and transportation for young people.
The Summer Initiative grants were awarded through the Community Foundation’s Community Impact Grants Fund, which thrives thanks to the philanthropic support of many individual donors, foundations, and corporate partners.
This year, community philanthropists also answered a call to donate additional funds to the initiative, with particularly generous contributions from several longtime supporters.
“We have terrific nonprofits in our region whose staffs work tirelessly to ensure that children get academic support over the summer and working parents have childcare when school is out of session,” Mathieu Nelessen, Community Foundation president & CEO said. “We’re able to help fund these wonderful summer programs because of generous donors in our community, and we’d like to thank everyone who contributed to our grants program.”
Grantee partners:
Boys & Girls Club of Mercer County, based in Trenton and Lawrence, $25,600 for its Tween Camp & Teen Drop-in Expansion program.
Capital Harmony Works, Hamilton, $25,000, for its three weeks of orchestra camp and two weeks of chorus camp.
Catholic Youth Organization, Trenton, $12,500, for its East State Street Center Trenton Summer Camp.
Every Child Valued, Lawrence, $23,440 for its Summer Enrichment Program for grades K-6 and its Teen Summer Series.
Greater Somerset County YMCA, Princeton, $25,000 for its Princeton YMCA Summer Camp.
Hamilton Area YMCA, Hamilton, $40,000 for its Summer Enrichment Program.
Hamilton Township Public Schools, Hamilton, $7,000, for its K-12 summer camp, now in its fifth year.
HomeFront, Lawrence, $25,000, for Camp Mercer: Summer Programming for Families in Housing Crisis, an 8-week program that provides educational enrichment and fun activities for students and childcare for parents so they can work.
HomeWorks Trenton, Trenton, $21,740, for its Summer Education Intensive, which focuses on academics, including math, English, SAT/ACT and college prep programs.
Howard’s Healthy Choices, Trenton, $33,410, for its Summer Learning Academy, which includes structured academic enrichment in reading, math, science projects, conflict resolution, first aid/CPR, financial literacy, and public speaking training.
Mercer Street Friends, Trenton, $52,700, for its Summer Bridge Program for students at one of its Community Schools: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School.
Millhill Child & Family Development, Trenton, $24,100 for its Summer STEM Explorers Program for rising 7th, 8th, and 9th graders.
Prevention Education Inc. (PEI Kids), Lawrence, $11,971 for its Juvenile Intervention Services’ Summer Initiative.
Princeton-Blairstown Center, Princeton, $10,000 for its Trenton Summer Bridge Program at its 268-acre campus.
Princeton Community Housing, Princeton, $14,000, for its Youth Summer Enrichment Program, which will provide grants for 50 children living in the agency’s homes.
Princeton Public Library Foundation, Princeton, $11,039 for its Youth Summer Reading and Volunteer Program.
RISE, Hightstown, $25,000, for its 6-week Summer Academic Enrichment program for up to 125 students.
Snipes Farm and Education Center, Morrisville, Pa., $15,000, for its Summer Farm Day Camp for Low-Income and Disadvantaged Tweens & Teens.
Trenton Circus Squad, Trenton, $35,000, for its Run Away to the Circus this Summer program at its Roebling Wireworks headquarters.
UrbanPromise Trenton, Trenton, $15,000, for its 6-week summer camp, which offers free academic support, including STEM, reading, and arts and crafts programs in the morning.
YWCA of Princeton, Princeton, $35,000, for its 9-week EmpowerU Summer Program, which includes themed activities and field trips.
