Abbie Lewis, SPAN’s Director of Education & Community Outreach, accepts the 15 Forever grant award on behalf of Peers Building Justice (PBJ).
SPAN is excited to announce that its youth program, Peers Building Justice (PBJ), has been awarded a grant from 15 Forever, a youth-led philanthropy program of Community Foundation Boulder County. This funding will support PBJ’s ongoing work to empower young people to identify community needs, conduct research, and advocate for change on issues that matter to them.
Representing SPAN at the award presentation was Abbie Lewis, Director of Education & Community Outreach, who accepted the grant on behalf of Peers Building Justice. The award recognizes the impact of PBJ’s youth-led work and will help support the group’s continued efforts to create meaningful change in Boulder and Broomfield counties.
Youth Leading Change in Their Communities
PBJ serves Boulder and Broomfield County youth ages 13–18 and is built on a simple but powerful belief: young people deserve opportunities to co-create the communities they are part of. Through weekly after-school meetings, youth participants build community, share meals, develop leadership skills, and design projects that create positive change throughout the Boulder area.
Over the years, PBJ youth have led a variety of impactful initiatives, including creating a zine that centered youth voices and experiences, curating a public art exhibition at the library, and organizing an Earth Day park cleanup. Most recently, PBJ youth have been advancing a menstrual equity project focused on ensuring menstrual products are available in all BVSD school bathrooms.
Looking Ahead: PBJ’s Next Project
The 15 Forever grant will help PBJ continue this important work while launching its next youth-led initiative. For the 2026–2027 school year, PBJ youth have identified queer and disabled students’ experiences with sexual education curriculum as a key area of focus.
Like the menstrual equity project, this initiative will be driven by youth research and community engagement. PBJ participants plan to conduct outreach, facilitate focus groups, and document their findings in a youth-created zine.
Discussions will explore questions such as:
- What aspects of BVSD’s sex education curriculum are working well?
- Where are there gaps and opportunities for improvement?
- How does inclusive sexual education contribute to student safety?
- What would equitable and accessible reproductive and sexual health education look like for students with diverse identities and experiences?
By centering youth perspectives, the project aims to better understand students’ experiences and identify opportunities to make sexual health education more inclusive and equitable.
Supporting Meaningful Youth Participation
Funding from 15 Forever will help make this work possible by providing meals during PBJ meetings and stipends for PBJ cohort members and focus group participants.
These resources reduce barriers to participation and ensure young people can fully engage in the research, discussion, and advocacy process. Investing in these supports recognizes the value of young people’s time, expertise, and lived experiences.
A Grant Awarded by Youth, for Youth
This grant is particularly meaningful because it comes from fellow young people. 15 Forever is guided by a youth board made up of BVSD high school students who research issues affecting Boulder County youth, raise the funds that make grants possible, review applications, and select grant recipients.
Their work exemplifies the power of youth leadership and youth philanthropy, ensuring that funding decisions are informed by the perspectives and priorities of local youth.
About 15 Forever
Established by Community Foundation Boulder County in 2006, 15 Forever was created to promote civic engagement, philanthropy, and leadership among local youth. The program is a collaboration between the Community Foundation and YouthRoots, a national youth philanthropy organization that helps young people develop leadership and life skills while creating meaningful change in their communities.
By engaging high school students in every aspect of the grantmaking process—from fundraising to proposal review—15 Forever equips young people with the tools to become active community leaders while investing directly in organizations that support their peers.
Looking Forward
SPAN is honored that PBJ’s work has been recognized by the 15 Forever youth board. The support of young philanthropists investing in youth-led solutions reinforces what we see every day: when young people are given the resources, trust, and opportunities to lead, they create lasting impact.
We are grateful to 15 Forever, Community Foundation Boulder County, and YouthRoots for their investment in youth leadership and community change. We look forward to sharing updates as PBJ’s next project unfolds and continues to amplify youth voices across Boulder County.