Middle School OST Funding

Middle School OST Funding is sponsored by New York Life Foundation. This grant provides general operating support for out-of-school time (OST) programs serving middle school youth in low-income or disadvantaged communities.

2026 Aim High Grant Program 2026 Aim High Grant Program The New York Life Foundation's Aim High Grant Program: Supporting Out-of-School Time Programs Serving Middle School Youth The New York Life Foundation created the Aim High grant program to equip afterschool, summer and expanded learning programs with the resources needed to help middle school students make a strong transition to high school.

In 2026, the Aim High Grant competition awarded 40 grants totaling $800,000 in the form of general operating funds to exemplary programs with a proven track record of helping middle school youth transition to high school on time and prepared to thrive.

2026 Aim High grant winners: The following 40 organizations were awarded one-year grants of $20,000 to help students transition to the 9th grade: Camp Catanese Foundation, Phoenix, Arizona BOSS, Inc., Long Beach, California Breakthrough Silicon Valley, San Jose, California Mission Graduates, San Francisco, California The "I Have A Dream" Foundation of Boulder County, Boulder, Colorado Leadership, Education, and Athletics in Partnership, Inc. (LEAP), New Haven, Connecticut Norwalk/Stamford Grassroots Tennis and Education, Inc. (NSGTE), Norwalk, Connecticut West End Neighborhood House, Wilmington, Delaware Beacon House Community Ministry Inc., Washington, District of Columbia Little Lights Urban Ministries, Washington, District of Columbia Washington Tennis & Education Foundation (WTEF), Washington, District of Columbia Club Esteem, Inc, Melbourne, Florida Metropolitan Ministries, Inc., Tampa, Florida Young Musicians Unite, Miami, Florida Upriver Youth Leadership Council (UYLC), Kamiah, Idaho Chicago Youth Programs, Chicago, Illinois Erie Neighborhood House, Chicago, Illinois The Community House, Hinsdale, Illinois My Place Teen Center, Inc., Westbrook, Maine MTM Foundation, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland Bigfork ACES, Bigfork, Montana Give Chances, Palisades Park, New Jersey New Jersey Community Development Corporation, Paterson, New Jersey Girls Inc. of Santa Fe, Santa Fe, New Mexico Buffalo Prep, Inc., Buffalo, New York East Harlem Tutorial Program, Inc. (EHTP), New York, New York Figure Skating in Harlem, New York, New York Rosie's Theater Kids, New York, New York Dream Center Academy, Inc, Gastonia, North Carolina Operation Xcel, Stokesdale, North Carolina Student U, Durham, North Carolina YMCA of Western North Carolina, Inc., Asheville, North Carolina Esperanza.

Inc., Cleveland, Ohio Girls Incorporated of Chattanooga, Chattanooga, Tennessee Moves and Grooves Inc., Nashville, Tennessee Refugee Empowerment Program, Memphis, Tennessee Sage Mountain Botanical Sanctuary, East Barre, Vermont Walk In It Inc., Suffolk, Virginia Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic, Toppenish, Washington United Community Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Research shows that for disadvantaged students, more learning time in the form of high-quality afterschool, expanded-day, and summer programs leads to greater achievement, better school attendance, and more engaged students.

Inspired by New York Life’s tradition of service and humanity, the New York Life Foundation has, since its founding in 1979, provided more than $490 million in charitable contributions to national and local nonprofit organizations. To learn more about the New York Life Foundation, visit www. newyorklifefoundation.

org .

Read about previous award recipients: Culturally responsive STEM programming: Aim High awardee Geeking Out Kids of Color Songwriting & social justice: Youth voices for change Building peer-to-peer relationships and taking "safe risks": Project Morry "I want every girl to know that her voice can change the world": An interview with Girls Empowerment Network An interview with The Wooden Floor, a New York Life Foundation Aim High grantee Expanding possibilities for students with The Wooden Floor, a New York Life Foundation Aim High grantee Prioritizing youth voice in COVID-19 recovery strategies: An interview with Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation A large body of evidence indicates the critical role of middle school in determining a young person’s long-term academic trajectory.

Enriching out-of-school time (OST) programs—such as afterschool and summer learning programs—are an effective means of helping middle school students successfully transition from 8th to 9th grade. In addition, these programs provide benefits to students that extend beyond academics, helping develop the whole young person—cognitively, socially, and emotionally.

The New York Life Foundation’s educational enhancement grantmaking strategy aims to help students in middle school thrive and become better prepared to complete high school and go on to college, providing them a brighter future. Why was the Aim High Program created?

The New York Life Foundation created the Aim High grant program to support the ability of local community-based afterschool and summer learning programs to provide the foundational skills and guidance that middle school students need to be prepared for the critical transition into high school.