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CITY OF GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA
REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM
Report: Appropriation of $78,500 Youth Community Access (YCA) Grant funds from the State of California Natural Resources Agency for the Students Training as Role Models (STAR) Youth Camping, Field Trips and other Nature and Cultural Activities Project.
1. Motion accept Youth Community Access (YCA) Grant Program funds in the amount of $78,500 from the State of California Natural Resources Agency for the Students Training as Role Models (STAR) Youth Camping, Field Trips and other Nature and Cultural Activities Project (STAR Nature & Culture Project); and authorizing the City Manager or a designee to execute all agreements, certifications, and documents necessary to accept and implement the funds.
2. Resolution of Appropriation to appropriate $78,500 in YCA Program funds from the State of California Natural Resources Agency for the STAR Nature & Culture Project.
COUNCIL ACTION
Item Type: Consent Calendar
Approved for December 16, 2025 calendar
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The State of California Natural Resources Agency awarded Community Services & Parks (CSP) a Youth Community Access (YCA) Grant of $78,500 for the Students Training as Role Models (STAR) Youth Camping, Field Trips and other Nature and Cultural Activities Project (STAR Nature & Culture Project). The projected grant performance period will run from December 2025 through December 2026, with activities scheduled during the 2025–2026 academic year and Summer 2026.
The STAR Program is a free, long-running after-school mentorship program serving at- risk youth ages 9-14, operated by CSP in partnership with Glendale Police Department.
It offers academic support, life skills training and community service opportunities.
The awarded STAR Nature & Culture Project will expand participants’ access to natural and cultural education through at least twelve outdoor field trips, including a weekend camping trip at a California State Park. Activities will include nature workshops at Deukmejian Wilderness Park, educational hikes, local trail cleanups and visits to Glendale’s historic landmarks.
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Additionally, the YCA grant will fund enhanced staff training in areas such as Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, diversity, student support, emergency preparedness and wellness. It will also support a guest speaker series for the youth participants on topics such as mental and physical wellness, academic success and digital safety.
RECOMMENDATION
That City Council accept and appropriate YCA grant funds in the amount of $78,500 from the State of California Natural Resources Agency for the STAR Nature & Culture Project; and authorize the City Manager to execute all agreements, certifications, and documents necessary to accept and implement the funds.
ANALYSIS
The STAR Program is a long-term, mentoring, after-school initiative aimed at helping elementary and middle school students, ages 9 to 14, achieve a positive future through academic success, life skills development, and community service. This free youth program – led in partnership by the Community Services & Parks (CSP) Department and the Glendale Police Department (GPD) – includes academic tutoring, life skills classes, educational enrichment activities, and service opportunities within the local Glendale community. Since 1995, STAR has successfully reached out to at-risk youth with weekly meetings, mentoring from GPD, and sessions covering topics such as character development by practicing the STAR values, health and well-being (including nutrition, fitness, and overall physical, mental and emotional wellness), and community service projects, culminating in a graduation ceremony.
This program is predominantly funded by the Glendale Police Foundation, with support from donors such as the Glendale Association of REALTORS®. The $78,500 Youth Community Access (YCA) Grant, awarded this year by the California Natural Resources Agency, will support the execution of the STAR Nature & Culture Project by helping to offset associated program costs.
The STAR Nature & Culture Project, supported by the recent grant award, builds on the STAR Program’s commitment to outdoor educational activities by increasing access to natural and cultural resources. The funding will enable at least twelve educational field trips, including, but not limited to, a weekend camping trip at a California State Park.
This grant will make it possible for STAR students to attend nature education workshops held at Glendale’s historic Stone Barn Nature Center in Deukmejian Wilderness Park and other Glendale parks. Examples of workshops include campfire programs on hiking safety and wilderness survival; Friday Night Lecture Series covering topics such as “Wildlife Photography”; interpretive hikes discussing the relationship between California native plants and insects; and sessions exploring the role herps (e.g., lizards) play in our ecosystems. Other opportunities include hiking along local Glendale trails and open spaces while participating in community clean-up projects such as watering oak trees, assisting with trail repairs, and removing invasive plants. The grant funding will also provide opportunities to visit various historic and cultural sites in Glendale, including 4d3
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Doctors House, Shoseian “Whispering Pine” Teahouse and Japanese Garden, Catalina Verdugo Adobe, and Casa Adobe de San Rafael, where students can learn about California’s origins and its development over time.
The grant will also facilitate enhanced staff training including ADA Compliance, Diversity and Sensitivity Training (Mind the Gap), and best practices for supporting students with diverse needs, safety and risk management, in-person harassment training, in-person mandated reporter training, nutrition training with a certified dietician, CPR/First Aid/AED training and certification, cultural competency, effects of vaping/drug use prevention, and emergency protocols.
Finally, the awarded YCA grant funds will support a guest speaker series that will enable staff to schedule paid presenters to discuss topics such as anti-bullying, nutrition, fitness, habits to develop success in school, mental health awareness, and social media safety.
The total estimated cost for implementing the STAR Nature & Culture Project during the 2025–2026 and 2026–2027 fiscal years is $88,000. Of this amount, $78,500 was awarded through the Youth Community Access (YCA) Grant. The remaining $9,500 in General Funds was appropriated by City Council during the FY 2025–2026 budget process for the STAR Program.
Key project components including personnel and training (e.g., additional hourly staff support with benefits and key staff trainings), materials and supplies (e.g., program materials, workshop speaker fees, and camping supplies), transportation (e.g., bus rentals), and field trip expenses (e.g., entrance fees and lunches for students).
STAKEHOLDERS/OUTREACH
The STAR Program serves youth from underserved communities of color, particularly those from Latinx, Asian-Pacific Islander, and immigrant families who speak English as a second language. CSP will continue collaborating with Glendale Unified School District (GUSD) and GPD to identify youth who would most benefit from this program. Staff will also continue to work with the Glendale Police Foundation and donors such as Glendale Association of REALTORS®, which provide extensive financial support of the program throughout the year. Furthermore, the program would have the resources to create additional opportunities for personal development, safe social interactions, and exposure to outdoor recreational and cultural activities. Its emphasis on positive engagement helps guide youth towards better paths, encouraging growth and resilience.
FISCAL IMPACT
The total estimated cost for implementing the STAR Nature & Culture Project during the 2025–26 and 2026–27 fiscal years is $88,000; $9,500 was appropriated in the FY 2025– 26 budget for the STAR Program. Staff is requesting to appropriate the $78,500 grant award from the YCA Grant. The appropriation request is outlined below:
Existing Appropriation
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Amount Account String Funding Source
$9,500 GL: 1010-CSP-3104-P5224 General Fund
Department Cost Center Program
Community
Services &
Parks
Youth & Family Services
Requesting Appropriation
Amount From (Account
String)
To (Account String) Funding Source
$78,500 GL: 32610-2160-
CSP-0020-P0000
PL:
GL: 43110-2160-
CSP-0020-P0000
PL:
Grant Fund
Department Cost Center Program
Community
Services & Parks
Projects
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW (CEQA/NEPA)
The activity being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(4) as it creates a government funding mechanism or constitutes other government fiscal activities which do not involve any commitment to a specific project that may result in a potentially significant physical impact on the environment; thus, it is not subject to CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15060(c)(3). Even if is a “project,” it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment; thus, it is exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3).
CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE
This item is exempt from campaign disclosure requirements.
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATION
1. Do not approve accepting and appropriating YCA grant funds in the amount of $78,500 from the State of California Natural Resources Agency for the STAR Nature and Culture Project, which would limit the program’s ability to expand and expose youth to a broader array of recreational and cultural activities.
2. The City Council may consider any other alternative not proposed by staff.
ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION
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Submitted by:
Onnig Bulanikian, Director of Community Services & Parks Prepared by:
John Maghaguian, Community Services Supervisor
Julianna De La Cruz, Senior Administrative Analyst
Sevag Garabetian, Community Services Manager
Tereza Aleksanian, Assistant Director of Community Services & Parks Approved by:
Roubik R. Golanian, P.E., City Manager
EXHIBITS/ATTACHMENTS
None.