The New Hanover Community Endowment has announced four new grants to education and youth-serving organizations in New Hanover County, according to a news release.

An $896,000 grant to Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington (GLOW) "supports efforts to improve academic achievement, expand pathways to postsecondary success and promote economic mobility for young women in grades 6-12," the release stated. "Funding will strengthen intervention and instructional support, improve transportation access and expand opportunities for leadership development and career exploration. It will also enhance programs such as GLOW Works, Cool Women, Hot Jobs, and the Senior Retreat, which provide leadership training, college and career planning, and opportunities for goal setting and future success."

The announcement of additional education- and youth-related grants comes on the heels of last week's endowment news about a grant that could go to New Hanover County Schools. Endowment officials said they want to grant $116 million over 10 years to New Hanover County to improve school facilities, which would boost county officials' plan for a more than $320 million school bond. The $116 million grant is contingent upon the bond proposal moving forward and gaining voter approval in November.

The other three grants announced Tuesday are:

• Brooklyn Arts Music Academy (BAMA) – $70,000: "To use music-based learning to close opportunity gaps, strengthen early childhood development and build the cognitive, emotional and social skills that support long-term academic success, resilience and economic mobility," the release stated.
• First Tee of Greater Wilmington – $13,000: "To support one week of no-cost summer programming for approximately 40 youth, ages 12-18, through 20+ hours of structured programming that combines golf instruction with social-emotional learning and mentorship from trained coaches and volunteers and provides meals," according to the release.                  
• North Carolina Coastal Federation: $45,794: "To support an 8-week, full-time paid summer internship for a Cape Fear Community College Marine Technology student and provide coverage of transportation and meal costs that would otherwise prevent participating youth from accessing NCCF programming," the release stated.   

“When children and families have access to high-quality educational and enrichment opportunities, we help lay the foundation for long-term success across New Hanover County,” said Sophie Dagenais, president and CEO of the endowment, in the release. “Together, these investments reflect a unified strategy: pairing long-term improvements to the quality of school environments with near-term support for the programs, services and opportunities that help students thrive.