Schools have an opportunity to participate in the Community Giving Foundation's Youth in Philanthropy program, which provides high school students across the region an opportunity to learn about philanthropy and participate in the grantmaking process.
Each school team is asked to do an assessment of their community’s needs. The Community Giving Foundation will then use those needs to call out to charities who wish to apply for the $5000 that each school is given to donate to charities. Our team will get together and go over each application and decide how we think that $5000 can best be given to fit our community’s needs.
The club is not an open enrollment club like others within the school. The Community Giving Foundation has capped the number of students that each school may have in their YIP group to 15 members. Students in YIP were chosen by faculty members as those who were leaders within their school and/or community. Finally, there is a grant awards ceremony in the spring where students award the grants they are giving to the recipients they have chosen. The group meets throughout the year to do tasks we are given to make sure we are ready for that final awards ceremony at the end of the year.
Bloomsburg High School psychology and sociology teacher Mrs. Murphy is one of the two advisors for this group. “This year’s opening ceremony was particularly poignant and has really stuck with me, and I feel many of our YIP members in attendance. We were given a presentation on Rachel’s challenge. The story of Rachel was quite emotional as she was the first student killed during the Columbine shooting. Rachel’s message in life was that we should all do what we can to have a positive impact on others around us. On the day that Rachel was killed, for example, she was outside the school talking to another student who was having a hard time. She believed that one act of kindness could filter down and have a greater impact in society, kind of like a domino effect of good deeds that will lead to a more positive environment for everyone. She believed in working to see the good in everyone and in showing empathy towards others.” Mrs Murphy explained. She also stated, “It is my hope that our school will be able to bring a program like this to our entire student body in the future as it has the capability of impacting our school community immensely.” Many students would be more than willing to participate in this amazing opportunity to form a caring community for those who need it.
Ava Billmyer is one of Bloomsburg's seniors and also a member of YIP. She said that she would definitely be likely to encourage people to join the cause. It's a school organization so the more kids we were able to get together, the more we would be able to give back to the community.” Giving back is one of the main things Ava likes about Youth and Philanthropy.
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