2025 Health Promotion Mini-Grants Awarded to Cambridge Organizations

The Cambridge Public Health Department is pleased to announce the 2025 recipients of the Health Promotion Mini-Grants Program. The Health Promotion Mini-Grants Program is a combined effort of the Cambridge in Motion Healthy Eating, Active Living unit and the Youth Wellness program at the health department.

“We are committed to offering support to our community partners,” said Derrick Neal, Chief Public Health Officer. “These mini-grants allow Cambridge nonprofit organizations to try new and innovative approaches to supporting wellness in our community as well as expanding on current programs.” 

The 2025 mini-grant awardees for Healthy Eating, Active Living and their funded projects:

• Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee will provide weekly Tai Chi sessions led by a certified instructor to improve physical and mental well-being among local residents, especially seniors and underserved groups. 

• Soca Fusion will offer dance classes to promote healthy physical activity, self-expression, and community engagement for children in Cambridge, while empowering Black and Brown youth by connecting them to their cultural roots through Afrocentric movement and rhythmic Caribbean music.

• The Cambridge Squash Alliance will expand access to squash as a sport for public school students by providing equipment, increasing court availability, and removing financial barriers. The program promotes equity, physical activity, and teamwork through inclusive practices and open play opportunities for middle and high schoolers.

• The Morse School will host a West African drum procession for all Cambridge Public School students, families, and staff, promoting inclusive physical activity through joyful dance, cultural celebration, and community connection across generations.

• On the Rise will lead a four-week meditative walking group to help unhoused participants bring mindfulness to their daily activity, supporting both physical and emotional well-being. In addition, a cooking workshop will teach housed participants how to prepare nutritious meals on a budget using food pantry staples. 

• The Cancer Education and Research Institute will provide engaging, science-backed outdoor education on cancer prevention at two events. These events will combine physical activity, nutrition education, and interactive learning to help participants of all ages reduce cancer risk and make healthier lifestyle choices.

• The Navigation Games will host orienteering events with summer campers and their families, teaching this map navigation sport and encouraging outdoor exploration and physical activity in Cambridge’s green spaces.

• The Newtowne School will introduce the Rainbowdance movement program for young children and their families to create a space that cultivates self-esteem, social empathy, and self-regulation skills through sensory dance.
  
• The Cambridge Camping Association will introduce an 8-week yoga course to children with disabilities and special needs enrolled in their Saturday camp. Yoga and mindful movements will help campers develop greater flexibility, strength, and coordination while fostering emotional resilience and stress reduction.

The 2025 mini-grant awardees for Youth Mental Wellness:  

• Cambridge YMCA Teen Zone will provide a dedicated, supervised space for 13–16 year olds to do homework, enjoy snacks, play games, and spend time with friends—a welcoming environment for teens who come to the YMCA.

• Building Bridges toward Equity in Psychosis Intervention and Careers (2B-EPIC) Internship Program project aims to diversify the early psychosis workforce by providing Black and Latino students with hands-on training, mentorship, and professional development. The funding will support a college student who will provide mentorship, mental health awareness coaching, and support for high school students.

• The Cambridge Community Center Mental Health ACCESS (Advancement of Culturally Competent Education to Stop Stigma) Program empowers Black teens and introduces them to mental health careers. This funding will support staff salaries, including youth mentors.

• Community Art Center will continue providing year-round, arts-based child care and youth programming with funding to sustain a dedicated Mental Health Counselor who will lead onsite sessions supporting children ages 5–12.

• The Public Kitchen/Cocina Pública Cambridge is a bilingual community project that will bring tools, ingredients, and support for Cambridge youth and residents. The project  will train six Cambridge youth to help plan and run a weekly public kitchen this summer, creating a free, supportive space where young people can grow in confidence and community.

The mini-grants are a partnership between the Cambridge Public Health Department and the Hideo Sasaki Foundation, a Boston nonprofit. The grants were awarded through a competitive process and reviewed by representatives from nonprofits, city departments, residents, teens, and staff from the Cambridge Public Health Department. 

To learn more about the Health Promotion Mini-Grants Program, contact Brigitte DeVeau (617-665-3759) at [email protected] or Sarah Lincoln (617-665-3874) at [email protected].