From staff reports

HARRISBURG — The Jana Marie Foundation has been awarded a $300,000 grant to expand youth programming in Centre County.

The funding, provided through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, will support free summer camps and after-school clubs focused on resilience, emotional wellness and positive peer connections.

The foundation plans to use the grant to serve about 500 children and teens each year, offering eight weeks of summer camp along with multiple after-school programs for upper-elementary through high school students. Programming will include mindfulness, coping skills, creative expression, physical activity, team building and social-emotional learning.

Foundation President and Founder Marisa Vicere said the funding will allow the organization to expand no-cost programs and reach more young people in the community.

The grant is part of the state’s Violence Intervention and Prevention and Building Opportunities Through Out-of-School Time (BOOST) funding initiative, which aims to expand out-of-school programming for at-risk youth and support evidence-based services delivered by community organizations.