NBC5, Telemundo Chicago Announce Winners of '21st Century Solutions Grant Challenge'

NBC 5 and Telemundo Chicago announced Monday that three Chicago-area nonprofit organizations will receive thousands of dollars in grants as part of the fifth annual 21st Century Solutions Grant Challenge program. 

North Lawndale Employment Network, Enlace Chicago and Chicago Youth Centers were each selected for their dedication to improving their communities. 

“We are thrilled to partner with the NBCUniversal Foundation to support local organizations that are leading innovative programs to help prepare our communities for the future,” David Doebler, president and general manager of NBC 5 and Telemundo Chicago, said in a statement. “We’re also proud to be part of a company that is dedicated to investing in organizations that are challenging conventional thinking to help improve the communities we all call home.”

The 21st Century Solutions grant challenge awarded a total of $1.2 million to 30 nonprofits in 10 cities across the country served by NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations. A community panel by each station reviewed and selected the final grant recipients. 

In Chicago, the North Lawndale Employment Network, whose Pathways for Women program serves extremely low-income women with felony convictions on the city's West Side by equipping them for self-employment, was granted $50,000.

Enlace Chicago was given $25,000 for its Little Village Community Portal, an online public domain for community resources, events, and information to connect residents and community organizations. 

Chicago Youth Centers was granted $25,000 for the CYC Maker Lab, which is expanding its facilities to expose children to professional-grade technology and equipment. The facilities will include a music and video recording studio and a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics education program that will teach students about technology, engineering, IT and the arts through "making." 

The grant challenge is part of NBC 5's "Making a Difference" initiative, which highlights positive and inspiring stories about people and communities across the Chicago area. 

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