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.
This is the third straight year the foundation has helped fund these initiatives, which feature academic lessons focused on reading and math, and activities such as sports, swimming, arts and crafts, and field trips. Many of the programs offer meals and transportation for young people.
The grants were awarded through the foundation’s Community Impact Grants Fund, which is supported by individual donors, foundations, and corporate partners such as Johnson & Johnson.
“We have terrific nonprofits in our region whose staff work tirelessly to ensure that children get academic support over the summer and working parents have childcare when school is out of session,” said Mathieu Nelessen, foundation president & CEO. “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.
- HomeFront, Lawrence, $25,000, for Camp Mercer.
- HomeWorks Trenton, Trenton, $21,740, for its Summer Education Intensive.
- Howard’s Healthy Choices, Trenton, $33,410, for its Summer Learning Academy.
- Mercer Street Friends, Trenton, $52,700, for its Summer Bridge Program for students at 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.
- 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 six-week summer camp, which offers free academic support.
- YWCA of Princeton, Princeton, $35,000, for its nine-week EmpowerU Summer Program, which includes themed activities and field trips.
