The Greater Milwaukee Foundation awarded $17,000 in grants to area agencies through its inaugural summer grants for kids initiative.

Grants of $1,000 each were given to 17 selected agencies to support supervised summer programs and activities that introduce kids to new experiences, provide them opportunities that would normally be unavailable to them and encourage the participation of their parents and family members.

“With this special grant program, our hope is not only that kids return to school in the fall with great memories of the summer, but more importantly that they also are ready to learn,” said Janel Hines, director of grant programs. “These mini grants provide agencies an extra boost to help children do just that.”

Recipients include the following projects and programs that run during the summer of 2013 and serve children and young adults in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington counties.

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Milwaukee County

COA Youth & Family Centers: scholarships for youth attending Camp Helen Brachman

CORE/El Centro: a 2-week Sustainable Sprouts gardening workshop for ages 7 to 12

Express Yourself Milwaukee: summer arts camp

HeartLove Place: Camp HeartLove Place, summer camp for ages 5 to 12

La Causa: Broadway Bound, an 11-week program for children at La Causa’s Early Education & Care Center

Lead2Change: DreamBig leadership program for teens

Milwaukee Ballet Company: Summer Relevé community outreach program

Milwaukee Public Museum: Summer urban academy for central city kids ages 6 to 12

Our Next Generation: academic, enrichment and recreation camp

Penfield Children’s Center: field trips for children at Penfield to the Milwaukee County Zoo, Milwaukee Public Museum, Betty Brinn Children’s Museum, Mitchell Park Domes and Milwaukee Public Library

Riveredge Nature Center: scholarships to Nature Journeys Summer Camp

TRUE Skool Inc.: eight-week urban arts program for ages 14 to 19

United Community Center: covers costs for activities associated with enrichment program serving more than 700 children

Wild Space: a five-week multidisciplinary arts education program called Wild Arts

Wisconsin Humane Society: transportation for People & Animals Learning, a violence prevention program for at-risk Milwaukee area youth ages 10 to 13

Waukesha County

Wellspring:  Youth Gardening Camp, for ages 6 to 11, and Agricorp, a garden-based program for teens

Washington County

Casa Guadalupe Education Center: a 10-week basic Spanish language program for Latino and non-Latino children children, in collaboration with the Washington County Boys & Girls Club