Alya Mehrtash staff writer
Teen BHEF hosted their “Club Tank” meeting on April 23 in which they conducted “Shark Tank” style interviews with representatives of each club in attendance at the BHEF meeting, presenting their club in hopes of receiving a grant.
Representatives of each club were allotted two minutes to introduce themselves and their respective clubs, followed by an additional three minutes to answer Teen BHEF members’ questions. After all representatives were finished with their presentations, members of Teen BHEF “discussed [their] opinions of the clubs and how much money [they] felt [each club] merited, based on their club mission and how much support they already have.”
Teen BHEF ultimately gifted four clubs with a total of $440 in grants as part of their annual club grant program. Among these clubs were Radio Airlift and the cyber-security-based Cyberlegion, both of which received grants of $120. Aid for Africa and the Medical Science Academy received grants of $100.
Teen BHEF president senior Noelle Trost emphasized the importance of supporting clubs through the grants, as they offer students unique ways to learn.
“I think it is important for Teen BHEF to support clubs because it encourages a different type of learning that you can’t get in a classroom,” she said. “I believe we encourage people to explore the interests they’re passionate about without having to worry as much about the money.”
One of junior Tohar Zamir’s passions is Radio Airlift, in which he and his peers are given the ability to take control of their creativity to create their own radio shows. As the club president, he represented Radio Airlift at the Teen BHEF meeting hoping not only to acquire a grant, but also to publicize his club.
“I just wanted to let people know that the club exists as something for them,” he said. “[It] essentially just gives another opportunity, another platform, for students to voice their opinion and it’s a creative medium for them.”
There are multiple things that members of Teen BHEF take into consideration when voting on the recipients of the grants and the amounts that they will each receive.
“We want clubs that have been somewhat successful so that we know that the money will be put to good use. However, we keep in mind that some smaller clubs haven’t had the same opportunities as bigger clubs to host the types of activities as they do,” Trost said. “Our main considerations are how the club impacts the overall culture of Beverly, what their plans are for the future and how much support they already have.”
As one of the many club leaders, Zamir recognized the importance of Teen BHEF’s club grants and the benefits of financial support from an outside organization.
“I love [the grants]. I think that’s brilliant,” Zamir said. “It can be a hassle sometimes to have to deal with funding and it can be very difficult and limiting for a lot of clubs. So, when I see [BHEF] give an opportunity for clubs to get ahead and give a little money for them to push forward, I think that’s a wonderful thing.”