Farmington and Farmington Hills students ages 8 to 18 can apply for up to $1,000 through Oakland County's Acorn2Oak Youth Grant Program before the Tuesday, Sept. 15, deadline.

The program funds student projects in four categories: business and organizational development, educational achievement, extracurricular investment and community impact. Leadership Oakland, the Michigan-based leadership development organization selected by the county to administer the program, oversees applications and awards.

Applications for the current round opened June 16 and can be submitted through the Acorn2Oak website.

The grants have already reached local families. In December 2025, 80 Oakland County students received awards, including 10 from Farmington and Farmington Hills.

Bobbi Ferguson, 8, of Farmington Hills, used her grant to launch "Be Sweet Lemonade Factory." Kalan Shah, 16, of Farmington Hills, pursued an Eagle Scout project building Adirondack chairs for Heritage Park. Lila Tasdemir, 17, of Farmington Hills, attended the Interlochen Double Bass Intensive.

Other local recipients included Luca Genrich, 17, of Farmington, who started a detailing business, and Greta Green, 17, of Farmington Hills, whose "Food For Us" project focused on community impact.

Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter proposed the program during his 2023 State of the County address. "These Acorn2Oak mini grants will help show our young people that we are confident and optimistic about their future," Coulter said at the time, according to the county's Acorn2Oak page.

The program launched in 2023 as a partnership between Oakland County and Leadership Oakland. Executive Director Susan Hollady said in a December 2025 statement that the grants encourage civic engagement and leadership development among young people.

A steering committee of two Oakland County representatives, two county commissioners and two Leadership Oakland board members provides oversight.

Families can find application details and submit through acorn2oakgrant.com.