Youth Enrichment

Youth enrichment grants help Coast Guard children attend camp, build skills, and grow with confidence through learning and summer experiences.

The Coast Guard Foundation’s youth enrichment program helps Coast Guard children grow, learn, and build confidence outside the classroom. Military family life can bring frequent moves, changing schools, and long periods of separation from a parent. Youth enrichment grants provide children with positive summer and educational experiences that support stability, resilience, and connection.

Families can use these grants for summer camps or technology that supports learning at home. Whether a child attends a STEM program, sports camp, sailing camp, scouting experience, or another enriching activity, these opportunities help build skills, friendships, and confidence during an important time of year.

A camp experience, a new skill, a new friendship — youth enrichment support can make a lasting difference for Coast Guard kids.

Summer can be especially stressful for Coast Guard families as they manage demanding schedules, deployments, and moves to new duty stations. Youth enrichment grants help ease that burden by giving children safe, meaningful ways to learn and grow while helping parents focus on the mission.

In 2025, the Foundation provided 921 grants and awarded more than $416,000 to Coast Guard families for camps and summer enrichment. Survey data showed that 80% of families said the grant eased financial stress, and 67% said they would not have been able to send their child to camp without it.

These grants strengthen not only Coast Guard children, but the resilience of the entire family.

Families said the grant eased financial stress

80%

Nora

Nora used her Coastie Camper grant to attend a scout camp in Alaska, giving her the chance to spend one last memorable summer experience with her troop before her family moved.

“Thank you for awarding me the Coastie Camper grant this summer. I used it to attend a scout camp in Alaska. This was my last campout with my troop before moving and I loved spending time with my friends before leaving town. Thank you again for your generosity.”

Nora’s story reflects how youth enrichment grants do more than fund camp. They help Coast Guard children build confidence, create joyful memories, and find stability during times of transition.