The Katie Tyson Fund for Youth and Young Adult Ministry

Black and white photo of Katie Tyson.

Katie Tyson

The Katie Tyson Fund for Youth and Young Adult Ministries exists to kindle the sparks of leadership among Unitarian Universalist youth and young adults. The fund supports scholarships, grants, and youth and young adult projects, conferences, outreach, and more.

Raised in the Mt. Vernon Unitarian Church in Alexandria, VA, Katie Tyson had become a rising leader in our movement. An active member in the young adult group at Arlington Street Church in Boston, MA, she had aspirations of becoming a Unitarian Universalist minister. Filled with enthusiasm, passion, and excitement, Katie worked tirelessly to make our world and her community more welcoming and loving.

Sadly, Katie's life ended on a highway in Colorado when she and a friend were returning from General Assembly in Salt Lake City in 2009. She was only 21.

Katie’s parents, Karen and Herb Tyson, had a vision for youth and young adults to be empowered to live out their dreams, to weave our Unitarian Universalist principles into the fabric of their expanding lives, and to encourage others to do the same. With the support of the Mt. Vernon Unitarian Church, the Joseph Priestley District, and other generous donors, in 2010 Karen and Herb established the Katie Tyson Fund for Youth and Young Adult Ministries.

Available Grants

Grant uses may include but are not limited to:

  • Scholarships for participating in regional and national events, receiving leadership training, and attending General Assembly.
  • Training for youth and young adults to exercise leadership in ministry.
  • Project and event grants that support youth and young adults in deepening and developing connections with Unitarian Universalism and spreading our movement.
  • Youth and young adult ministry project grants for Unitarian Universalist activities, conferences, outreach, and group start-up projects.
  • Supporting large public programs, such as lectures or workshops of interest to youth or young adults, with the goal of increasing awareness of and interest in Unitarian Universalism.

Recipients of grants may include individuals, congregations, or communities. Distributions cannot be used for the salaries of professional staff.

Grant Application Deadlines

Scholarships for youth and young adults to attend General Assembly are distributed through the General Assembly Scholarship Application process.

The Katie Tyson Fund is generously supporting scholarships for youth and young adults to attend programs like Meaning Makers, Summer Seminary, Thrive Youth and Thrive Young Adult.

The UUA's Lifespan Faith Engagement office provides other grants to support innovativeyouth andyoung adult led projects, as well as supporting their leadership in their congregations, regions, and the world. For more information about our work and grants from the Katie Tyson Fund, please contact yayaministry@uua.org.

Contribute

You can donate to this fund by mailing a check, calling us, giving a gift of stock, or making a legacy gift.