Diving headfirst into the new school year, your Community Foundation of White County welcomed the second cohort of the Youth Philanthropy Council, a distinguished group of young leaders representing all four White County high schools.
The mission of the Youth Philanthropy Council (YPC) is to empower White County youth by cultivating philanthropic engagement and leadership. Each semester, the YPC holds their very own grant cycle to fund initiatives that support their school systems. Through the development of their leadership abilities and skills, continued philanthropic and community education, and diving deeper into the grantmaking process, these council members will be empowered to create an impact they can witness.
Last spring, the inaugural YPC cohort awarded just under $10,000 to support classroom projects in all four White County schools. Projects like purchasing a self-serve salad bar for the Frontier cafeteria ensures that “no student leaves hungry that day.” Another leadership program, Leader in Me at North White School Corporation, empowers young students to reach their full potential. At Tri-County, one teacher used the YPC grant to purchase flexible seating in their classroom to improve mental wellness. The music and theatre departments at Twin Lakes are finally replacing decades-old dancing shoes, some of which were literally held together by duct tape and band-aids, causing room for injury.
So far, the second cohort of the YPC attended orientation where they learned the basics of philanthropy and community foundations and began developing their teambuilding skills with Joy McCauley from Camp Tecumseh. In September, the YPC held its first council meeting where they elected their leadership team: Aiden Vrotny, President; Vera Hindi, Vice-President; Genevieve Stroetz, Secretary. Four Project Managers were also nominated and elected to support localized efforts: Madyson Westerhouse, Rhyan Strange, Katie Pinkerton, and Lorelai Miller.
Additionally serving on the Youth Philanthropy Council is Addison Douglas, Alayna Williams, Autumn Reif, Braylon Gretencord, Braylon Sipkema, Charli McMillin, Diego Romero, Emily Cardoza, Griffin Hornung, Heiden Morales, Jasmine Durando, Liam Kyle, Morgan Galyen, Nolan Roeske, Ryleigh Metzinger, Scottie Unger, Taylor Burns, and Veronica Montes.
Thanks to a regional cultivation grant from Wabash Heartland Innovative Network (WHIN) and an anonymous donor, this program is fully funded for the first four years. The YPC will work toward sustainability with future fundraising efforts to allow this opportunity to expand and impact children and their schools for years to come.
Be on the lookout for more news from the Youth Philanthropy Council as these leaders take charge and seek out opportunities to make a difference in their school communities. If you want to learn more about the Youth Philanthropy Council and how you can support this initiative, reach out to Lucy Dold at (574) 583-6911.
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