2026 Summer Youth Experience Report
United Way Director of Advocacy & Engagement, Julie Kennedy, will present the 2026 final reports submitted by the four selected youth organizations. Through the Rotary/United Way Summer Youth Experience partnership, Lancaster Rotary contributed $45,000 and United Way of Lancaster County contributed $35,000 to help ensure local children and teens have access to safe, engaging, and educational summer programming. These investments supported programs that helped students continue learning, build confidence, explore new interests, and stay connected during the summer months.
The grant partners connect School District of Lancaster families with programs across the City of Lancaster that place students at the center of everything they do. These organizations continually adapt their programs to meet the evolving needs of families during out-of-school months, providing support like meals, clothing, and transportation along the way. Their thoughtful planning creates an engaging, enriching, and joy-filled summer experience for youth throughout all 10 weeks.
The following organizations received 2026 Summer Youth Experience Grants:
Advantage Lancaster
SWAN
Horizons at Lancaster Country Day School
Music for Everyone
Together, these programs provided youth with opportunities for academic enrichment, mentorship, creativity, and personal growth throughout the summer.
United Way of Lancaster County continues to invest in initiatives that expand educational opportunity and support children and families across the community.
Julie Kennedy is the Director of Advocacy & Engagement at United Way of Lancaster County and is in her 9th year with the organization. A lifelong creative thinker, she finds her comfort zone resides "outside the box". With a BA in Design-Thinking for Social Innovation, she is committed to crafting fresh, new solutions to outdated systems. Prior to her work in non-profits, she worked for Free People, a division of Urban Outfitters, and was part of a team that piloted what we know as “ship-from-store" today. One of her most valued skillsets is her lived experience, and she brings the perspectives of re-entry and recovery with her wherever she goes.
She is proud to continue her family’s legacy of civic engagement and community building. Her great-grandfather, Earl Young Stauffer, and grandfather, J. Richard ‘Dick’ Stauffer, shared a remarkable legacy of civic leadership, volunteerism, and community service in Lancaster County.
Across two generations, their contributions included leadership in the Ephrata Chamber of Commerce, Ephrata Lions Club, Rothsville Fire Company, Boy Scouts of America, and numerous civic and fraternal organizations, reflecting a deep commitment to public service, youth development, and strengthening the communities they called home.