Oakland County students ages 8 to 18 can apply for mini-grants worth up to $1,000 each through Tuesday, Sept. 15.
The Acorn2Oak Youth Grant Program, administered by Leadership Oakland, funds student-led projects in four categories: business and organizational development, educational achievement, extracurricular investment and community impact. Oakland County Executive David Coulter announced the current application window on his official X account Wednesday, Sept. 2, urging students with project ideas to apply before the deadline.
Rochester, Rochester Hills and Oakland Township families are eligible. Any Oakland County resident in the 8-to-18 age range qualifies.
What the grants cover
The four categories are broad. Business and organizational development could cover a student launching a small business or nonprofit; educational achievement could cover tutoring resources or academic tools; extracurricular investment could cover sports equipment or music lessons; and community impact could cover a neighborhood cleanup or food drive. The program does not publish specific examples of funded projects, so these are illustrative only, not confirmed past grants.
How to apply
Acorn2Oak is a competitive process. A steering committee reviews each application based on creativity, feasibility, impact potential and alignment with program goals. Not all applicants receive a grant.
Applications are available at Acorn2OakGrant.com.
Program track record
Oakland County launched Acorn2Oak in 2023 in partnership with Leadership Oakland. The program has awarded nearly 100 grants since then, according to Oakland County government social media. In December 2025, 80 young residents received grants in the program's latest cycle, according to a Dec. 20, 2025 program update, and a second annual award ceremony in April recognized 30 students across the county, according to a Facebook post from Coulter.
"These grants not only support youth projects but also inspire civic engagement and leadership at an early age," Susan Hollady, executive director of Leadership Oakland, said in a Dec. 20, 2025, program update.
Coulter said in the same December 2025 announcement that the county wants to help young people "turn their skills and dreams into reality."
No notification timeline or award ceremony date has been announced for the current cycle.
