WHAT IS TEAM?
Teens Exhibiting Able Minds is the Youth Advisory Committee of the Berrien
Community Foundation. This group consists of young people throughout Berrien
County who volunteer their
time to help the Berrien Community Foundation with its Youth
Endowment. TEAM recommends grants to support many organizations and projects
that provide practical solutions to critical issues and challenges facing
contemporary youth.
The Berrien Community Foundation assists TEAM members in becoming wise stewards
of the endowment and empowers them to "give back to the community" to build a
better life and future for all of us. Since 1989, TEAM has
recommended more than $1.4 million in charitable grants to
enhance the quality of life for youth today . . . and in the future.
Front Row: TEAM Members
Carolyn Kodis, Vice Chair, Sarah LaSata, Ally Sullivan, Nellie Petlick, Co
Chair, Carol Oehlhaffen, Adult Advisor
Middle Row (l to r): Doyoon Kim, Patience Newman, Mari
Bradley, Kathleen Risk, Hunter Williams, Anne Mc Causland, retired Adult Advisor
Back row: Keegan Downey, Frank Moen, Co Chair, Chris Smiy,
Ryan High, Michael Preston, Quincy Leonard, Josh Coffin, Ross Baiers
Not pictured: Dwight Bowman II, Ben Miller, Valerie Miller
TEAM's MISSION
Empowering youth to develop life-long values of generosity, leadership, and
volunteerism.
PRESENT
TEAM MEMBERS
Ross Baiers
Dwight Bowman II
Mari Bradley
Josh Coffin
Keegan Downey
Ryan High
Doyoon Kim
Carolyn Kodis, Vice
Chair
Sarah LaSata
Quincy Leonard
Ben Miller
Valerie Miller
Frank Moen, Co
Chair
Patience Newman
Nellie Petlick, Co
Chair
Michael Preston
Kathleen Risk
Christopher Smiy
Ally Sullivan
Hunter Williams
Adult
Advisors:
Lanette
Sanford, Carol Oehlhaffen
HOW CAN YOU JOIN TEAM?
Hunter Williams,
Mari Bradley, and Kathleen Risk,
members of TEAM, confer about several
grant applications
TEAM's goal is to have members from every school district in Berrien County.
Contact the Berrien Community Foundation (see information at the bottom of this
page) if you are looking to be part of something meaningful to your communities.
We welcome students in the 8th-12th grades who can volunteer for at least 2
years.
TEAM members meet once a month during the school year to engage in the following volunteer activities:
TEAM at a recent hardhat tour of the 2900 Lakeview/PACE
Project
The Berrien Community Foundation's Healthful Seniors & Community Initiatives
Funds, the Bernadette Janda McKittrick Endowment Fund, and an anonymous donor
advised fund providing funding for this project spearheaded the Region IV Area
Agency on Aging in collaboration with Lakeland Health and Hospice at Home.
WHAT IS THE GRANT PROCESS?
Please see the Grantmaking Guidelines page for specific information. Youth groups in Berrien County are invited to apply for funds
in the Fall to help them
start or expand special activities that help other young people. Make
sure that you have an adult advisor, plus the support of the school, church,
or nonprofit organization that sponsors your group.
- TEAM will only consider grant applications that incorporate youth
involvement from the planning stages through implementation.
Projects planned solely by adults cannot be considered.
- Youth involved in the project will be asked to attend a TEAM meeting to
discuss their project.
Projects that address one or more of the following identified by high
school students in the 2002 Youth Issues Discussion Groups will receive the
highest priority:
- Development of positive youth decision-making skills*
- Positive activities for youth*
- Drug abuse prevention/awareness
- Teen sex/pregnancy prevention
- Drunken driving
For more information about the grant deadlines (March 1 for proactive grantmaking related to the * items above
[by invitation only from TEAM by February 1] and September 1 for all other
[August 29 in 2012]) and
application information and forms, please contact Lanette Sanford, Finance/Program Director, at
LanetteSanford@BerrienCommunity.org.
